Siren's Call
by Ladii Emelia
Summary: Riddick is being tracked by someone while trying to find a place to escape from being captured by mercs. One day the tracker slips and things become interesting for the two. Post PB pre-TCoR. RxOC. I don't own anything from Riddick series, only this plot.
1. The Predator is Prey

**Title: Siren's Call**

**Rating: M (for later chapters)**

**Pairing: Riddick/OC**

**Tags: Action/Adventure, Romance, some Drama, Sci-fi**

**Other: Lemons in future chapters**

**Chapter 1-The Predator is Prey**

The streets were quiet and desolate tonight. I thought it would be easier, but it is even harder to stalk my prey. Not that it was easy to begin with. My new charge is named Richard B. Riddick, a murderer and escaped convict. They told me it wouldn't be easy; I didn't listen or just didn't want to believe them. I always get my man, Sirens always do, and I refused to let this one get away. I had been tracking him for months, and I finally am close to him. But something in my gut was telling me something was wrong. He had led me to the quiet, filthy part of town. I thought it was too quiet, and quiet was never a good sign when hunting. Riddick had walked into an empty building. I wonder if he knows I'm following him.

Before I followed him in, I loaded my guns and put on my heat sensing goggles. They told me he had some special vision and could see very well in the dark but not so well in the light, which is probably why he stayed in dark places. I walked slowly inside and looked carefully around. I stayed close to walls and pillars; I wanted to make sure my back was covered as much as possible. I kept looking around. No trace of Riddick. Tracking him was like tracking a ghost. No one has ever been this hard to find. I heard a noise and looked in that direction. It was just a rat. I found a stairwell and quickly walked to the next level of the abandoned building.

On the other side of the hallway a door was slightly opened. I checked some of the other doors; they were locked. I braced myself and crept slower down the hall toward the room. I walked inside. It was empty. Then the door slammed behind me. I turned around to look, and then someone grabbed me from behind. I felt a cold piece of metal press up against my throat. I moved my neck back to try to avoid the blade. "So they're sending women after me now," his voice was low and his breath was hot on my ear. I let my guns drop to show him that I had surrendered. They told me if he ever caught me that he would kill me, but I was still willing to try. "Giving up so easy? I thought this was gonna be fun. Just can't find good Mercs now."

"I'm not a Merc."

"Then who are you? And why you been following me?"

"Jazmine Lionheart. I'm a Siren."

"What the fuck is a Siren?"

"A woman in an organization made up of all women that hunt certain men."

"And you were after me? One woman to get me? What do you want me for?"

"It's not my job to deal with the charges. I only deliver."

"What do you get out of it? You risk your life and you don't know what they do with the men you hunt."

"It's not my business to know. I follow orders and get paid for the charges I bring in alive."

"So you weren't here to kill me? Just capture me," he chuckled. "I wouldn't mind being taken captive by a group of women, especially if they all look like you." I could feel my heart speed, but I didn't know why. But he did have me thinking, what did they do with all of the men I brought in? He was the first criminal I've ever hunted; everyone else was from different backgrounds, but not criminals.

I decided not to worry about that now; instead I tried to figure out a way to live to see another day. I tried to remain calm. I could feel his chest moving as he breathed; he was so close to me, and it didn't seem like he wanted to let me go any time soon. I looked to see which of my guns were closer and it there were any windows around. I could jump out of a story building and get away. I just had to figure out how to get out of his grasp. My head was close to his clavicle; all I had to do was hit him just right and put enough force on the pressure point in the center where the bone was the weakest. He would move back and I would have my chance.

I did it as quick as I could. I managed to get free, but the gun was farther away than I thought. He recovered quicker than I had expected and pinned me to the floor. I gasped as he ripped the goggles off of my face. I small him give me a small smile. "You're bold. I like that in a woman." I struggled to break free, but he held me firmly to the cold stone floor. My back instinctually arched away from the cold causing my breast to press into him. His smile grew larger. "Here's a plus to havin' a woman chasin' me. And you'd definitely be a waste to kill." I gave him a quizzical look, though I wasn't sure if he could see my face. I wondered how he could be thinking about sex under these conditions. I was tracking him to take him captive, and instead of trying to kill me he was trying to have sex with me here in this abandoned building. It went against everything I was told about him; from what I could see, he wasn't the ruthless bastard they'd led me to believe he was. Or maybe this was a ruse.

He leaned his face in closer to mine. I was too astonished by his behavior to react. Suddenly there was a loud sound coming from the other side of the door. We both looked in the direction of the source of the sound. "Looks like we have company." He gave me a quick peck on the lips, "Next time." He was off of me and out the window in less than ten seconds. I grabbed my gun and went to the window. I looked out and saw him running down the barren streets. The door in the room burst open. I looked. A group of men in dark uniforms had their guns aimed at me.

"Don't move," one yelled. I quickly jumped out the window and ran back to my ship. Damn, I almost had him. And now I had to track him again. I had to prepare better for the next encounter.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed reading this. Please let me know what you think. I love constructive criticism. I'll try to update soon. **


	2. Follow Where I Lead You

**Chapter 2**

I couldn't believe it. Six months of chasing him for nothing; and I was so close. I know I messed up somewhere, but did they have to order me back now. I got a call from my superiors; they were telling me to report back immediately. I was tempted not to heed the call and keep searching for him. It wasn't the best idea, so it's back to Lineia. I was so far from home that I thought it would take less time to find Riddick again than to go all the way back. None the less, I have to go back.

I didn't want to stay awake for the journey back. I would be too restless and tempted not to return. I had to put myself in cryo-sleep. During my sleep, I had all types of weird dreams. It's nothing new to me. I've always had a wild imagination. This dream was just a bit crazier than others. I was chasing him still; I had followed him to a forested planet. The jungle was thick and dark, and the air was damp and humid. I was on him until I stumbled into a clearing, alone. I held my guns out on either side of my body and turned in the opening. I knew he was somewhere close, but I couldn't let him get me, again. Then he came up behind me, again. He incapacitated me, again. He locked my arms so I couldn't break free. How he had restrained me, he was able to keep my head from hitting his pressure point again. Naturally, my weapons dropped and I was helpless and completely vulnerable.

I thought he was going to snap my neck and leave me for dead. He didn't; instead, he started saying something in my ear. I didn't know what though. Then in a few swift movements, he had my wrists restrained in one of his hands and his other arm was wrapped around my waist. But that was it. It seemed like time froze. I figured it was because I'd never had sex before. I knew what it was, but it was forbidden for Sirens on Lineia. We had one mission, and that was to track the men the Embassy assigned us. There were rare occasions when they would allow certain Sirens to wed and reproduce, and other times, even rarer, when a Siren got pregnant, she was banished from the organization and looked at as an outcaste. I knew the first wouldn't happen, and I refused to let the second.

A loud, piercing beeping sound woke me from cryo. I was disoriented for the first few seconds. Then I turned to the main system to see what the problem was. There was a large ship on my radar. I checked to see what the problem was. They had breached a port compartment on my ship. It didn't seem serious. The ship jerked and started to move backward. I turned toward the pilot controls and tried to stop my ship from being towed toward the larger ship. I tried everything that I could, but nothing seemed to work. I went to get my weapons. I had to prepare myself for what ever was coming next. When I finished putting on my effects, I sent a distress message to the closest Sirens. I hoped someone would respond to the call.

Time seemed to creep by. It felt like hours from the moment I woke from cryo until my ship was docked inside the larger ship. They opened the door to my skiff. I came out with my hands up. I was surrounded by men wearing the same garb as the men in the building. They had their weapons aimed at me; one stepped forward and took out his cuffs. He hand cuffed me and pushed me forward. They surrounded me as we walked down a narrow hallway. They were talking in hushed tones around me; I tried to listen to what they were saying, but I couldn't understand. I tried to think about how I could get away and figure out why they apprehended me.

They pushed me into a cell, put up a barrier, and then left. I wondered why they hadn't taken away or even searched for my weapons. Something didn't seem right in this place. "Didn't expect to see you here." I turned to his voice. "Jazmine, right?" I walked closer toward him. He was confined to the wall.

"How long have you been here?"

"Close to three weeks," he answered and then tilted his head to the side. "Still tryna take me with you? You can start by gettin' me out of here." I thought about it. I did need to get him back to Lineia, and I needed to get off this ship. But he could turn on me and kill me. I decided to take my chances. I looked at the locks, simple enough to get out of. I reached in my utility belt and pulled out a lock pick. I played in the locks until they all unlocked. Riddick got out of the restraint and stretched. He cracked his neck and back.

"How are we gonna get out of this cell?" I questioned. He looked at the barrier.

"We gotta find a way to short the energy field creating the barrier. Have anything else on you that can come in handy?"

"A few guns and ammo. But I doubt they'll help."

"No, but later they will." I looked through the barrier and saw the control panel on the other side. Maybe I could shoot that and somehow turn off the force field by malfunctioning it. I took out my gun and aimed it at the computer system. He grabbed the gun; I was startled. "It's pointless. Use the ammo when we really need it."

"Well we gotta get out of here to use it."

A guard was walking pass our cell. He looked inside and saw that Riddick was out of his restraints. He got on his radio and called for help. He looked scared; I guess the restraints were supposed to be unbreakable or inescapable. Maybe for amateurs, not a trained specialist. "Are you armed?" I asked in a low tone.

"No, they took my shivs." I handed him a gun. We would both need something to get out of this alive.

"Gotta a plan?"

"Yeah, if you wanna live, keep up." We waited on opposite sides of the cell for the other guards to come. A group of soldiers came and surrounded the cell, weapons ready and cocked. A thin, tall, middle-aged man walked through the center and stopped in front of us.

"Well, Riddick, who knew your woman was capable of getting you out of those restraints. If I'd have known, I would've put her in her own restraints."

"I didn't even know she could. Guess she's full of surprises. I wonder what else she's keeping from me." He smirked as he turned to me. I looked at him then back to the other man.

"She was definitely hard to find. Makes me think she was running from you. I wonder why."

"This one running? That's a joke. She's been after me for a while." There was truth in his words. I had been tracking him for several months. But this man was confused. He thought I had some connection to Riddick. That was probably the reason they were after me. It would probably be best if I went along with this until we got off of this ship.

"Put your hands behind your head. And Riddick, step back away from the girl." We listened. A few moments later, a guard disabled the barrier and a few men came in. I didn't see him, but I heard the first shot. The lights went out, and then more shots and screaming was heard. I went against the wall and tried to avoid all contact. It was dark and I couldn't see. The screaming stopped and I saw a pair of silver eyes staring at me. Something grabbed me and pulled me off the floor.

"You're not afraid of the dark, are you?" I saw his teeth flash in the darkness; he was smiling. "Let's go. We gotta get moving before that bastard sends more guards after us."

"He's still alive?"

"Yeah, the bastard got away before I could get out of the cell. C'mon." He pulled me out of the cell. I waited as Riddick did something in the dark. A few moments later he thrust something into my chest; I grabbed it and realized it was an assault rifle. He pulled me toward the other side of the room. I assumed we were going to a way out of the brig. We stopped and he opened a door. The light came in. I was relieved to be able to see again. I watched as he took a second to put his goggles on. Without notice, he started to run down the hall. I had to sprint to catch up with him.

He suddenly stopped and had to put out his hand to stop me. He pulled me behind him. A few guards were walking down the hall, probably patrolling for the two of us. "Don't move until it's finished. Then run like hell." He crept behind the two. Riddick knocked their heads together then snapped each of their necks. After that he moved the bodies and started down the hall. I ran from the shadows after him. I didn't know where he was going, I assumed to the hangar to get a ship. I was simply following him where ever he led.

"Where are we goin'?" I finally asked.

"To get off of this ship. Where else?" I stopped for a moment. I had to catch my breath. "Can't keep up, Siren?" I started again. Guess I had to rest when I got off of this ship. Or not, I still had Riddick to worry about. For now I would follow where he led me; and for all I knew that could have been straight to hell.

**A/N: I wrote this awhile ago, but tell me if you think the story is moving too fast. Also, the chapters will be getting longer soon. Hope you enjoyed this bit.**


	3. Got You

It had been about an hour since we escaped from the cell. Riddick had us all through the ship and its vents. After watching him meander through this ship, I understood how he could escape from so many slams. He was intelligent and resourceful. He had killed a lot of the guards, but it was unavoidable. I was sure we were close to the hangar. I didn't want to ask him how far or close we were; I hadn't said anything to him since I had asked where we were going. I realized how idiotic the question was, but I couldn't bring myself to saying another word to him. We came to a large door. Riddick tried to open it, but he needed a special access pass. He looked around to see if there were any other ways to get into the room. We had already tried shooting the door controls, but that got us a lot of trouble and we had to crawl through the vents to avoid being caught by the patrolling soldiers. While he felt around the walls for a whole in the wall, I heard something coming towards us. I looked in the direction of the source and whispered, "Riddick." He looked back to see what I was calling him for.

A small squad of six or seven soldiers was headed toward us. Riddick reacted first and grabbed my waist and pulled me against him in the shadows. With the other hand, he took out my pistol and shot the main lights in the corridor, I hated this part. The squad cocked their rifles and headed toward the gun shot sounds. While we waited for the squad to come, Riddick removed his goggles. When they came, we saw something that neither of us could account for, the squad had night vision goggles. Unlike the others, these soldiers knew about Riddick's ability and were better prepared for an encounter with him. Plus, they were better fighters. This must have been an elite squad that was patrolling. I guess they were getting smarter or at least making more of an effort to stay alive.

I had a hard time fighting in the dark. This time I had to actually try to defend myself since they were coming after me, too. Not that I minded fighting. It's just that I had a disadvantage in the dark; I would've been all right if I had my heat sensing goggles. It didn't come to a surprise when one grabbed me from behind. I struggled against him; I refused to be weak and give in, but I'm guessing he assumed that Riddick would stop fighting if I was endangered. Of course, he didn't. Riddick didn't stop until one managed to take him down. He caught Riddick off guard with a hit to the back of the neck while another guard attacking him from the front. After they incapacitated us, they led us to a large elegant room in the ship. The tall man from before was there standing next to an old, pudgy man sitting in a large chair. He had to be the one in charge here.

"I've lost quite a few men trying to stop your escape. I knew MY hand picked squad would be able to get you two." The large man seemed quite pleased with his squad for their terrific feat. "I've been tracking you for some time, Riddick. You're a hard man to catch."

"I aim to please. But what did you need her for?" he motioned to me with his neck. I looked at him before looking back to the old man.

"Well we've seen her several times while tracking you. We thought you were working together. I thought if she found out you were being detained that she would try to come help you escape. I didn't want to risk it, so I hunted for her as well. But it looks like she has been more of a problem then expected." He was definitely an amateur deducer. If I was working with Riddick, wouldn't it be more logical for me to actually be with Riddick and in contact with him. The first time I had actually come in contact with him was in the abandoned building. It might have just been me, but things didn't add up to me.

I looked at Riddick. He didn't seem to have any intention of denying any of the speculations they were making. I wonder why. I looked around and tried to figure out a way to escape. I could get the cuffs off with the lock pick in my sleeve. I looked at Riddick's hands; his hands were restrained behind him as well. I could take down a few by myself, and then help him out. I'm glad they didn't really search me. I still had a few throwing knives on me. I took a breath and decided I had to start as soon as possible. I fidgeted with the lock and the second I felt it snap open I grabbed the knife in the back of my belt. I stabbed the closest guard in the neck and used him as a shield from their shots. Riddick flipped over a guard and cracked the man's neck with his cuffs. He picked up his gun and started shooting a round.

"Erik, stop them!" the large man commanded. The tall man next to him charged at us. I flipped back to avoid his first strike. He had a sabre. I don't know where he pulled it from, but he was definitely trying to get rid of me first. He swung at me several times; I just missed the blows, a few times the tip would get me and leave small cut in my torso and arms. I was trying to wait for a chance to get close enough to him to do damage. If I would've thrown a knife, he would simply dodge it.

The next thing I knew, blood was splattering in my face. He fell. I realized that Riddick had picked up one of the knives and had gone to work. He took care of several of the other guards; the few that were still alive fled after Riddick took down Erik. "Sexy," he said out the blue. I looked at him for a second then saw the fat man trying to escape. Riddick looked at him, too. Before I had time to react, Riddick took the knife from Erik's neck and threw it at the old man. It went straight into the side of the man's head. He fell where he stood.

"The ship will self-destruct in 7 minutes," a female voice said through the intercoms on the ship.

"We gotta get to the hangar." Riddick looked through Erik's clothes until he found what he was looking for. He took his access pass and then grabbed my arm. We sprinted toward the hangar. Soldiers were scrambling to escape pods, but we were going to get a ship. With a few moments to spare, we got to the hangar. I ran toward my skiff; Riddick followed. I went to the pilot's seat and started the systems.

We managed to get out of the ship in time before it exploded. We both looked as the bits of the ship drifted far away from the destroyed vessel. I saw a light flashing. I had a message. I looked at Riddick; I had my man. I stood and tried to slide away from the large man standing over my seat. He trapped me between him and the wall of the ship. My heart started to race. "That was impressive."

"What?"

"Back there. Didn't know you had it in you." He pressed his body into mine. "I owe you one for getting me out of there."

I pressed my back into the wall as I tried to put as much space as possible between us. "Well, you saved my life, so I guess we're squared." I looked to the right of his head. I saw the restraints they had put in especially for Riddick. I just had to get him close enough. But how to do it?

"You might wanna get cleaned up." I was confused. What was he talking about? I couldn't see where his eyes were; then I looked down. My shirt was full of holes and it left a lot of my skin exposed. I had forgotten all about it during the haze of the adrenaline rush.

"Oh."

"Want some help?" He moved one of his hands down my back and to the bottom of my shirt. He slid his hand underneath and touched my back. He used his thumb to slide my shirt up while the rest of his hand moved along my skin. I put my hand on his arm to stop him, but to no avail. I swallowed hard. He lowered his head to the side of my neck and then pressed his lips on the nape of my neck. I felt his tongue travel up the side of my neck. A chill went up my spine. He moved over to my mouth and kissed me. I wouldn't part my lips, but he slid his tongue pass anyway. His tongue played on mine; I didn't really know what to do. But I had something to use to get him into those restraints. I started to kiss him back and pushed forward into him. Riddick took steps back. When he was in the right spot, I quickly hit the restraints button. We heard a few clicks and then we were separated. His hands were on either side of him and his feet were chained together. I could tell he was glaring at me from behind his goggles.

I turned and went back to the pilot's seat. I couldn't look at him. I felt a little weird after what I had just done. I tried not to worry about him; to distract myself, I looked at the message. It was from Lineia, someone had picked up the signal but couldn't help, didn't matter now though. I took the time to contact my superiors. I told them that I ran into some trouble, but I managed to get Riddick. I ended by saying I would be there as soon as possible.


	4. Curiosity Prompts Questions

**Here's two chatpers. I try to update weekly, but I was busy last weekend, so here's double. Hope you enjoy.**

Time seemed to go slower this trip than the last. I didn't go into cryo and that could have been a reason why. I didn't know how strong the restraints were, so I didn't feel that safe going to sleep. I'd seen what he was capable of and didn't want to be on the receiving end of that. However, he did have enough reason now to rip my throat out; I did just trick him into the restraints. I looked back at him. I still couldn't tell if he was looking at me or if he was asleep. I was curious. I stood and walked slowly toward him. I reached up to his face and slid the goggles up. His eyes opened and my heart jumped. "Why do women always do that when I'm sleep?" I moved away; I didn't have a reason to stay near him. I sated my curiosity; now I just had to go back to my seat. I started to back away. "Leavin' already?"

"I just wanted to see if you were all right. You weren't moving for a while."

"So you were worried about me?" I nodded. And honestly I was a bit worried; he spent more time in chains than out of them, from what I had witnessed. "You can show me how much by taking me out these restraints."

I smirked at him, "I'll pass."

"Then can you get this thing out my neck? It's been pokin' me for a while."

"Sure," I walked carefully to him again, and tried to feel what was behind him.

"You can't get it that way." I sighed then reached over his shoulder. "Closer." I stepped a bit closer and reached. There was something there. I tried to move it; when it was off of him I attempted to back up, but he trapped my legs between his. I held onto his neck so I wouldn't lose my balance and fall backward. I struggled to break free. "Where you goin'?" My legs wouldn't budge at all. I started to feel on his torso. I poked at different points. "Pressure points, huh?" I didn't understand why the points weren't working. He was solid muscles, but that shouldn't have made a difference. Maybe he could tolerate the effects of the ones I was using. I wasn't trying to actually hurt him, so I didn't use the more dangerous points. If it came down to it, I would have to resort to those.

"Entering Lineia's atmosphere. Prepare for landing," the computer warned us.

"Put my goggles on," Riddick demanded. I listened and then he let me go. I went to the pilot's seat and got ready to land the skiff. I put my own goggles on as I prepared to go through the atmosphere. It was a rough landing, but I was happy to be home after so much time away.

At the Siren's main hangar I was greeted by other Sirens. I opened the door to my skiff and they were there waiting. Not so much for me, mainly to transport Riddick to where ever he was supposed to be going. I tried to follow to see where they would take him, but one of the commanders stopped me. I watched as Riddick was taken away. I wish I knew what they did with the men we hunted. After I got my personal stuff out of the skiff, I headed home. I was there for a little while alone, when the doorbell rang. I answered it and saw that it was my best friend, Arianna. I opened it.

"Hey, Jaz. I heard you were back. How was your mission?"

"Different than expected. Normally I have targets that are relatively easy to find and catch, but this one was different. He was a convict, murderer, and escape artist. Hell to track and even harder to catch."

"Sounds dangerous. I'm glad you're all right."

"I am, too. I was afraid I wouldn't make it back sometimes."

"Why? What happened?"

"A lot, Ari. I finally had him, or thought I had him, and he ended up getting me. I thought I was done, but some other guys came and he got away. Later I got captured and thrown in a cell with him. We worked together to escape. He even saved my life when we were captives. We escaped together and I managed to get him here."

"He let you bring him?"

"Not really. I kinda tricked him into the restraints shortly after getting away from the other ship."

"Oh. Did you hear?" Just like her to up and change topics.

"Hear what?"

"They found out that Lina was pregnant. She's goin' to the Embassy in a few days. But we all already know what's goin' to happen."

"I don't get why it's such a big deal that she's having a baby."

"I don't either. Women on all other planets do it; and it's a normal thing. Why aren't we allowed to here?"

"I don't know," I sighed. We walked into my kitchen. Arianna sat as I poured drinks. I handed her one and then sipped from mine. I waited a moment before asking, "Ari, do you know where they take the men we bring back?"

"No, but my sister does. Why?"

"The guy I just brought in, he got me thinkin' about that. I spend a lot of time off this planet to bring back random men from all over the verse, but I don't know where they go or what happens to them when they get here."

"I never thought about that before. I wanna know now, too. When you wanna talk to her?"

"As soon as I can." Arianna stood and put the empty glass in the wash before walking back to the front door.

"Later tonight, when she gets back from Clinic. I'll come get you."

"Okay. Thanks, Ari." I closed the door after she left. I went into my bedroom and lay on my bed. I closed my eyes and soon I was fast asleep.

I had a dream that I was tracking Riddick again. Why? I didn't know. But he had somehow turned the tables and was after me this time. We were in hand to hand combat until he twisted my arm and pinned me to a wall. I yelped and struggled to break free. When ever I was around him in my dreams or waking life, I always felt powerless when he incapacitated me, but at the same time I didn't want him to let me go. Just like on the ship, he started to suck and lick on my neck. Then I heard a knock on the door and woke from my dream. I was still a bit disoriented, but hurried to answer it.

"Were you asleep? I've been knocking for ten minutes."

"Yeah, I guess I was more tired than I thought. Are we gonna go?"

"C'mon." I followed her to her sister's apartment. Arianna knocked on the door and a few moments later the door opened. "Hey, Briella."

"Ari, what are you doin' here?"

"Jazmine wanted to ask you a few questions about some stuff that was bothering her."

"Come in. I'll try to help." We walked in and went to the living room. The three of us sat on the couch and began to talk. "What do you need to know?"

"What do they do with the men that the Sirens bring back?" I asked.

"Umm… I can't really tell you that."

"Why not? What difference will it make if I know?"

"I'm just not supposed to disclose that information."

"I just risked my life several times to bring a man here. I think I should know what they plan to do with him."

Briella sighed. "All right, I'll tell you what I know. But you can't tell any body."

"I won't."

"Ok. You know how our society is full of women and there are no men in the general public. The Sirens bring the males here to reproduce with the females. But only certain females."

"Then why are only females born?"

"The women chosen to reproduce are given a drug that promotes the production of females. However, once in a while a boy is born. I'm not sure what they do with them though."

"So the men are simply brought here to breed?" Arianna asked. Briella nodded. "How do they choose which men to bring and breed with?"

"It depends on the person selected for breeding. It is normally I high class woman from the Embassy and they look through a catalog of the most eligible men in the verse." I wondered who chose Riddick, and who would consider him available.

"Where do they take them?" I asked.

"There's a secret place underneath the Embassy."

"How do they breed?" Arianna asked.

"Normally, through sex, but occasionally some do it through artificial insemination if they don't want to have sex with the male she chose."

"What do they do with the male after the woman is pregnant?" I inquired.

"They just get rid of them. I'm not one hundred percent sure how, though." I was a bit worried and paranoid. If I would have known this was the fate of the men that I brought to this planet, I would have been against it. I had to help Riddick out of the Embassy. It was my fault he was there. I had to move quickly, or it would be too late.


	5. Questionable Actions

**There's a short lemon at the end of this chapter. I posted a warning where it begins. Enjoy.**

I strapped up and had on all of the burners that I could carry. I even brought a pair a heat sensing goggles. I knew Riddick preferred to fight in the dark, so I had to be prepared this time, just in case I needed to fight. When I was finished putting on all of my effects, I headed out. It was late at night and the streets were dark, save for the few lights scattered around town. It was past curfew, so I had to be extra careful as I made my way pass patrolling centaurs to the Embassy. I knew what I was doing was risky, but something inside made me feel the need to do this.

I made it to the Embassy. I went to find a way to get in, and thanks to Riddick, I've learned to use all parts of building and structures to get to different places. I found a vent to the building and climbed in. I climbed through the vents as quietly as I could. When I thought it was safe to get out. I slid through an opening and took out a pistol. I crept through the halls. The building was quiet and eerie. The lights were low and I figured the building was near empty save for a few guards and the men they had locked here; that is if they hadn't gotten rid f them yet.

The only problem would be finding where they were. I would have to get someone to take me there. If I looked around, I might've been able to find someone who worked with the men that could take me to the holing cells. I traveled the halls and looked for someone. Many minutes passed, but I finally found someone. I grabbed her from behind and held my pistol to her neck. "Don't make a sound. Take me to where the men are." She was panicked and nodded anxiously. We walked slowly down a few halls until we came to a large, sliding door. She put in a password and the doors opened. I cuffed her and put her in the corner of the room. I searched the room. There were several men in cells; they were all sleep except for one. Him. "Riddick." He looked up at me.

"So you came back," that crooked smile came back to the edges of his mouth.

"I'm gonna get you out of here." I took out an electric circuit breaker; I put it on the lock. A few seconds later the field disappeared. "C'mon."

"Now where are you takin' me?" He walked toward me. I was preparing myself for whatever came next. Riddick grabbed me and brought me into his chest. "Why'd you come back?"

"To pay you back for savin' my life."

"I thought we squared that debt?"

"Now we can call it square." He pulled a gun from me and then let me go.

"Lead the way." I started back the way I came. I wanted as little confrontation as possible. A quick snatch and grab then quietly get safely out. I always get my man. Yet this time seemed more dangerous then any other in my experience. I was risking more by committing treason. I put those thoughts in the back of my mind and focused on getting out of the large, eerie building. As soon as we got to the vents, I knew we would be cleared. And we were. Riddick and I managed to get out of the building undetected. I was a bit worried about the girl I left, but I'm sure she didn't see my face to identify me. She'll tell the Embassy that someone helped him escape, that will be the only problem. I hope.

The two of us skulked through the empty city streets. We ran and hid in the shadows, narrowly missing the centaurs. Every almost encounter had my adrenaline rushing through me. I was a bit anxious, but tha quickly went away when my home came into view. I hurried and let him into my home. I didn't know who was around or if the Embassy has already noticed his disappearance. I didn't know how much time we had until we were discovered. I had to try and keep him a secret until I got a ship together.

While I was locking my door, Riddick came behind me and wrapped an arm around my waist. He pulled me into him. "I can't."

"Can't what?" his voice was low and husky on my ear.

"Do this." I struggled in vain to break free; his grip was as firm as ever.

"What are you doin'?" With hesitation, I used a pressure point in his neck; he cringed and released me.

"Sorry," my tone was low and remorseful. He rubbed his neck as I slid pass him. "I'm not used to physical contact with men."

"So you prefer women?"

"No, women on this planet don't have sex at all unless chosen to reproduce, so I'm told."

"Planet of virgins, huh?" he laughed to himself; I wondered what he was thinking. "Then why am I here? Time to reproduce?"

"Yeah, something like that." I kept my head down.

"Guessin' you weren't the lucky winner to breed," he brushed a strand of my hair. I looked up at him. "That's why you came to get me? Grew attached, huh?"

"Not really. Just felt bad for bringin' you here for that. They'll use you then get rid of you afterward."

He chuckled, "Then what are you gonna do with me?"

"I haven't completely figured that out yet. It's too dangerous for both of us if you stay here."

He pulled me toward him and made sure he had my hands restrained in one of his hands. With the other hand, he grabbed the back my neck and kissed me hard on the lips. I resisted at first until his tongue slid into my mouth, and then I let myself relax and melt into him. His hand slid down to my waist and held me up. He started to undo my pants. I backed up and broke our kiss. "I can't. I don't wanna get pregnant."

"You won't." He tried to kiss me again.

"How do you know that?" He didn't say anything; he just kissed my jaw down my neck. "You don't know what it's like if you get pregnant on this planet."

"Yeah, doubt that. But what difference does it make now? You already betrayed your superiors by getting me out of there. Why stop now?" He had a point, but I knew nothing about babies or childbirth or sex. I had to admit that I was scared; I had no idea what to expect. He captured my lips again, bringing me from my musings.

A/N: Lemon warning

"We'll play a game instead. What ever I take off of you; you have to take the same off of me," he said as he slid my shirt up. I let him take it off. I hesitated as I reached to remove his. My hand finally managed to reach his torso. I barely touched him as I slid the beater up. He helped me get it over his head and arms. The piece of clothing fell to the floor. Riddick pulled me over to the couch. He sat down, but I stood in front of him. He put his hands on my waist; Riddick undid the fly of my pants with his mouth while he held my ass. After the fly was undone, he slid my pants down after removing my boots. Once my feet were free, the pants came off. "You're turn." I knew he could tell I was reluctant to strip him down. I stood in front of him covering myself from his gaze. I swallowed hard then sat on the floor in front of him. I started to undo his boots, very slowly. They were off. I slowly moved to unfasten the zipper to his cargos. My hands trembled as I performed my task. Moments later the pants were off and I stood back up.

I had never seen a naked man before, so I took a moment to stare. He pulled me onto his lap. Words couldn't express how nervous I felt at that moment. He pressed my back forward; my chest pressed against his. His body was hot, hard, and smooth. My nervousness started to fade away. Riddick reached up and took out my hair tie and let my hair fall around my face and down my back. He ran his hand through it. I carefully moved my hands to his face and removed his goggles. His silver eyes looked up at me. I wanted to ask about his eyes, but at the same time I didn't want to ruin the moment. He continued to explore my body with his hands, mouth, and eyes. I sat still in his lap; suddenly, Riddick flipped me onto my back.

Riddick gently moved his hand up my thigh to my waist and around my back. He started to suck on my breasts. His touches were so tender; I didn't understand how this man was the same as the one back on that ship. It amazed me; Riddick amazed me. He had stopped kissing and sucking on my chest; he parted my legs. I became panicked and tensed again. Instinctually, I closed my legs and sat up. He grabbed my waist and pulled me back to my previous position. "Calm down and just relax." He parted my legs again and then started to suck and kiss and bite my center. I wiggled from the new sensation; Riddick held me still as he worked. I heard moaning noises and it took me a second to realize I was the one making the noises. My hips bucked from a burning sensation. I looked to see what had caused the pain. Riddick had slid a finger inside of me. I squirmed for a while; the burning eventually went away and the pleasure came back. Riddick replaced his finger with his tongue. The pressure building within me was overwhelming.

My breathing was erratic, and then the pressure went away and I felt this relief that was indescribable. "Tasty," his voice was a low rumble; he looked at me. "Not so bad, right?" I nodded. Damn, if this is what I've been missing, then the hell with the Sirens and the Embassy. I'm glad I broke him out of the Embassy. I'll worry about the future problems when they come up. For now I'd live in the moment and try not to be stressed about what could happen next.

**I'll try to update sooner. Hope you liked.**


	6. Did You Really?

**Sorry about the delay. I had a busy week. But here are three chapters for your enjoyment.**

**Chapter 6**

The next day, someone was knocking on my door. I jumped up frazzled by the unexpected sound. I tried to sit up; I had forgotten Riddick was there. He was lying on top of me. I woke him up. His eyes opened and closed, "Hand me my goggles." I reached on the floor and helped him put them on.

"Get your clothes and go to my room. Someone's at the door." He got up, grabbed his stuff, and went to my room. Meanwhile, I was frantically trying to put my clothes on. The knocks became louder and more frequent. "I'm comin'!" I hurried to the door and opened it.

Arianna rushed pass me, "Jazmine, one of the men escaped from the Embassy and someone helped him escape." All of her blended together, but I got the gist of what she was saying. I took a moment to debate whether or not to tell her about Riddick. I decided to tell her; she has been my best friend for as long as I can remember and I doubt she'll betray my trust.

"Ari, it was me. I rescued Riddick from the Embassy last night."

"What…? How…? Why…? Do you have any idea what could've happened to you if you would've got caught? What were you thinking?" Arianna was yelling and ranting at me. When she stopped to catch her breath, I said what I was trying to get out:

"I know what I did was dangerous, but I couldn't leave him there. And I don't regret it. But, Ari, you can't say anything to anyone. Promise me."

She shook her head, "I promise." She looked around. "Where is he? I wanna meet him." I motioned for her to follow me. I walked into my room and hoped that he was clothed. Riddick was standing in front of my weapons cabinet. His shirt was in his hands, but the rest of his clothes were on. We stared at him; he looked better in that moment than the previous night in the darkness. Riddick looked over and saw us. He turned toward us.

"Uh… umm… Riddick, this is my best friend, Arianna. And, Arianna, this is Riddick." They looked at each other; well, I assumed he was looked at her. You could never be certain where his eyes were with those goggles on.

Arianna leaned over to my shoulder and whispered, "I see why you went back for him. He's perfect. Where can I get one?" We both smiled.

I whispered back, "He's one of a kind. Trust me."

"You know," he spoke up, "They say it's rude to whisper in front of others." We both stopped and looked at him. Didn't see that coming.

"Well," Arianna began, "What are you two gonna do now?"

I continued to look at Riddick. "I don't know. Haven't thought that far into the future yet."

"You should start. The Elite are coming to check everyone's housing, starting with the Sirens and working their way down the chain." Damn it, I had to hurry and pack.

"I'm assuming they're shutting down all of the hangars until they apprehend the culprits." She nodded; I sighed. "This should be fun."

"I like a challenge," Riddick stated before he turned back to my weapons.

"Whatever we do, we have to do it fast." I looked at Arianna.

"_We_, Ari?"

"Yeah. Do you think I would let you get into anymore trouble by yourself?"

"I doubt you'll be able to go back to your old life if we don't make it."

"I don't care. Besides, we're not gonna get caught. I'm sure of it."

"If you're one hundred percent, then go get your stuff ready and meet me here in an hour. Only bring what is most important to you. Try to travel light." She nodded and left. I looked at Riddick again, and then I walked pass him to grab a duffle bag. I packed a few pairs of black cargos and a few black and grey shirts. I threw a few other personals in and then went to put some weapons and ammo in before closing the bag. I thrust my bag into Riddick's chest and shooed him out my room. I got dressed and putting on my normal effects with a few extra pieces. I grabbed a few extra knives and guns. Once I was finished, I left the room. I handed the weapons to Riddick and took the bag from him. I opened a pocket on the side, went to my secret safe, got out my stacks of saved up cash, and put them into the bag.

"What are you plannin'?" he asked as I scrambled.

"I'm tryna think how we can all get to the hangar in one piece."

"It shouldn't be a problem. If I can get out of a maximum security slam, then I'm sure we could get off this planet." He had a point and his words were encouraging. It shouldn't have been that hard to get there. Then I'd be free and I would never have to look back again. I might miss Lineia though. And I had no idea where I could or would go once I left this planet. I had to worry about that after I was off this rock.

I tried to pass the time; it was hard as hell though. I don't know why I told her an hour. Since sitting patiently wasn't working, I decided to try sleeping. I told Riddick to wake me if something happened or when Arianna returned. A loud knock came from the door; it woke me up. I heard several voices and I knew that couldn't have been Arianna. Riddick looked at me. "You have to hide." I stood up.

"Open the door!" He disappeared into my room. That was the last I'd seen of him. I walked to the door and opened it. The Elites came in and pushed me to the side. They tore my place apart looking for any signs of a man being present. They checked all the rooms and then went to the last room, my bedroom. I tried to follow, but a guard grabbed my arm and held me there. I kept resisting and another came to help restrain me. The other guards came back out. "She's clean. Let's go." With that, they left my house to head for the next Siren. I closed my door and hurried to my bedroom. I looked around. Where was he?

"Riddick?" I called in a hushed tone. I heard a small thud. He slid from under my bed. How did he pull that off? I sighed with relief. A few moments later the door opened. I pulled out a gun and went to the living room. It was Arianna.

"Sorry I took so long. They were checking my place when I returned, and then when I came back here, I saw them outside. I had to wait until they left. I'm glad you're all right."

"Thanks. We have to go now. Are you armed?"

"I only have one pistol with a few rounds of ammo." I walked back to my room. I ran into Riddick and stumbled back. He reached out to catch me before I fell. With the other hand he handed her a small bag. Arianna opened it and looked inside.

"I figured we would need extra."

"All right," I said, "Lets go."

We left my home. The sun was starting to set. We tried to stay out of sight and in allies as we headed for the hangar. A few times we were almost seen, but we managed to stay hidden. When we got to the hangar, it was heavily guarded. I thought about a way to get in. I only knew of one way. I looked at Arianna. She had a look in her eyes. "What is it, Ari?"

"We can get in through the drain in the back. It's hard to see, so I'm guessing they're not guarding it."

"Can you get us there?" She nodded. Lead the way. We followed her. Arianna managed to get us to the storm drain. She tried to remove the metal door that led to the inside. Riddick moved her to the side and opened the door with little effort. He discarded the covering and took off his goggles as he headed inside. We followed behind him. Riddick led us through the drain system as if he knew exactly where we were headed. He opened a lid and climbed out. Once he was above he helped us out. We each took out a weapon as we moved stealthily through the halls to the hangar where the ships were docked.

The three of us were able to get there in one piece without any trouble or attention from the centaurs. My ship was docked and in pieces. They must have been working on it. I knew we couldn't use that one. Riddick had gone his own way and found a skiff. He opened the door; Arianna and I followed suit and boarded the vessel. He closed the door. "Anyone not ready for this?" he asked the two of us. We shook our heads. He went to the pilot seat and booted up the ship's systems. I went to sit next to him. I watched as he worked; I had no idea he could pilot.

"How are we gonna get out of here? The door's sealed shut," Arianna asked.

"That's not a problem." Riddick smiled and locked onto the hangar's main door. He aimed and fired. After the explosion, Riddick turned on the rocket boosters and flew out of the hangar. We thought we were home free until a squadron came and followed us. They weren't in space-faring vessels so all we had to do is get high enough and they wouldn't be able to follow.

"Head higher, Riddick," I commanded. He turned the boosters up and angled the ship at a steeper level. We accelerated. The squad tried to catch up, but once we reached a certain altitude they had to pull back. Moments later we cleared the Lineia's atmosphere. We got off of that planet in one piece. But where would we go from there?


	7. Now That I'm Gone

**Chapter 7**

We'd been drifting through space for a couple of weeks. Arianna was chattier than normal and kept complaining about being cramped in that small space. We were all on edge and the confined space was getting to me, too. Riddick seemed fine, save for Arianna's constant talking. I still had no idea what to do now that I was off Lineia, but floating around in this ship wouldn't solve my problems we couldn't survive in that vessel for long. I sat next to Riddick in the co-pilot seat. I wanted to see what systems were close by. I looked over and saw what he was doing. He was looking at a Merc's list. I looked at the bounties on the list. His name was the first on the list and he had the highest bounty 1.5 million cash. He quickly shut off the screen and pulled up something that had to do with the ship's systems. "We're gonna need fuel soon," Riddick informed me.

"That's what I came to check. I wanted to see what systems were close." He looked at me for a moment and then pulled up a map of Tangier, the closest system. "I guess we gotta find a planet in this system." He said nothing. "Do you have a preference?"

"Not really. I just gotta get away from her constant whining." He motioned to Arianna, who was in the back of the cabin organizing food capsules.

"How about this one?" I pointed to the one called Lupus 5.

Riddick shook his head, "Not that one. It's no good." I looked at him and then shrugged. "I'll pick one." I nodded, smiled, and then sat back in my chair. I knew what Lupus 5 was famous for and wanted to see if he was still on the run. Obviously, yes because of the large bounty, but maybe there was something else I didn't know. I was just trying to figure him out. While I mused over the man next to me, he was busy plugging in the coordinates to one of the planets. He set it to autopilot and the computer said it would take seventeen more days until we reached the planet. "You wanna go into cryo?" I shook my head. "You wanna put her into cryo?" I smiled and laughed to myself.

"Tempting," I teased.

"I'm serious." And he was, but I couldn't do that to my best friend. I could take a few more weeks. Riddick turned back, "Arianna?" She looked at him. "We got seventeen days 'til we land. Wanna go into cryo?"

"Hell yeah. This is torture. Sleep will make this go faster."She walked to her seat behind me. "Hook me up," she demanded. Riddick happily acquiesced to her wish. A few moments later she was fast asleep. He looked at me after taking off his goggles. He pulled me onto his lap. I had no idea how he had me on him in a few seconds. My head was almost spinning. He kissed me before I completely had a grasp on the situation. I blinked a few times to come to my senses after he broke the kiss.

"Beautiful silence," he said breaking the silence. His hands were rested on my hips; he played with the fly of my pants. "Still worried about getting pregnant?" His question made me think. Was I still worried? I was off Lineia for good, but was I ready for that. I was silent for a while; he spoke up, "I'm not saying you will, just curious."

"I'm not sure. But you seem so anxious to get me pregnant."

Riddick smirked, "Not really. Just doing the act. I'm not tryna father any kids."

"So people have sex for fun?"

"Yeah. And you don't always get a kid nine months later." This put me in an all new mindset. Maybe this sex thing is something worth considering. "You look like you changed your mind," his voice was hopeful mixed with seduction. But I didn't know if was ready yet. What did I have to lose? And what did I have to wait for?

"I'm nervous still. This is all new to me."

"An innocent virgin. Who knew such a thing still existed?" His smirk grew to a full smile. He licked his upper lip. Sexy, I had to admit, murdering convict or not. "That's probably why you taste so good." He confused the hell out of me with that one. He saw my look and then shook his head, "Forget it." He kissed me again. I wrapped my arms around him and tilted my head to deepen the kiss. "I've never been this patient with anyone before," he confessed. "I don't know what made me start."

"This is new to me, too. I didn't know something like this was possible. Not until I met you. I'm glad they assigned me to get you."

"This is too sentimental for me. I just wanna smash and get it over with," he joked. Or at least I hoped. "But I get you're not ready." Why was this man a wanted fugitive? I didn't see it. He only killed when necessary, granted it was extremely grotesque the way he killed. _C'est la vie_. It truly intrigued me why he was wanted; I still couldn't bring myself to ask him though. I slid off of him.

"I'm gonna go into cryo."

"Why?"

"I need to rest. Never know what's gonna happen next. I need to be rested and prepared for what ever happens." I hooked myself up and soon drifted into a deep slumber.

I had another one of _those_ dreams as I slept. I was with Riddick, and we were together like we were so often now. But something bad happened. We were surrounded and someone ripped me from his arms. I was panicked and frightened as I repeatedly yelled his name. But he couldn't come for me. He was also being dragged away from me. Later, I was only in a room. I had on a white medical gown and my hands were chained together. Bright lights flashed on and shined in my face blinding me from whoever else was in the room with me. They were yelling out me, but I didn't understand why. I tried to figure out or remember what I'd done, but nothing came to me. Then I remembered Riddick and he was the only thing on my mind.

"Jazmine," I heard my name. "Jazmine." I kept hearing it, and someone was shaking me. My eyes opened slowly. "Wake up. We're on Jurai," Riddick was leaning over me. I looked over and saw Arianna awake and ready to get off the ship. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. He helped me out of my chair. "Be careful, Arianna. This isn't a good planet. It's just the best in this system." She nodded to acknowledge his words before exiting the craft. She was thrilled to be off of that ship. I couldn't wait either. I went to get my bag. "You're staying with me." I wondered why he wanted to keep me around. What could he be thinking?

He led me to several places, mainly places to restock the ship and get newer supplies. Things seemed to be going well, but I knew better to think everything was. And sure enough, we things got ugly. For the past few blocks, a couple of men had been following us. Riddick had told me to stop looking at them, but I couldn't help but steal glances every now and again. We pulled me into a scrap shop. He hid me in the back to the side. "Mercs," he explained. I tried to look; he pulled me out of sight. "Give me a pistol." I handed him one. "Do you have a silencer?" I dug in my bag and found one. He took it and put it on the gun. "Stay here until I come back." Riddick left. I waited there; time seemed to stop as I waited. Eventually, he came back to get me. "Let's go." I followed him out the store.

"We gotta get off this rock," he informed me.

"We gotta get Arianna." He sighed and looked displeased.

"All right. Let's go find her. Where do you think she would go?"

"Any where with shoes and clothes."

"C'mon." He pulled me deeper into the city. I hoped we could get out of this soon and in one piece.


	8. Take the Bait

**Chapter 8**

We had been searching the city for hours trying to find her. Arianna didn't seem to be anywhere. I could sense Riddick's frustration. He wanted to be off Jurai hours ago. I did too; I felt nervous being here. And I started to worry about Arianna; this place was but so big and she was no where to be found. I hoped she was all right. We continued to search. I had suggested that we split up, but Riddick was against it and thought it best to just stay together. He was right. A group of men found us. One came forward and was holding Arianna, who was bound and gagged. She was struggling to break free. "Riddick, come willingly and your bitch won't get hurt." Riddick didn't look fazed. He simply stared at them, a ghost of a smile at the corner of his lips. I stepped forward and took out two burners.

"Let her go," venom laced my tone.

A few of the men laughed. One spoke up, "Got your bitches doing your work for you now Riddick? Guess you did go soft." He began to laugh. The next second he stopped and fell to the ground. Riddick had thrown a knife and it landed between his eyes. A few men charged at us after that. I shot the ones that came next to me. When I was out of ammo, I went into hand combat. I didn't have time to reload, so I used the blades I had hidden in my sleeves to finish a few of them off. Meanwhile, Riddick was snapping necks and slicing the Mercs open. He got to Arianna before me and freed her. We left after that batch of men were finished. We started to head back to the ship. On our way, I heard a thud. I turned to look. Arianna had fallen to the ground; she had been hit with a tranq-gun. I tried to call after Riddick to help me. He didn't turn back though. I tried to help Arianna up. Then I felt a sharp pain in my neck. I blacked out after that.

Hours later, I woke up with a terrible headache. I held my head and then rubbed my eyes. I finally looked up. I was in a cell. I heard something rustle; I looked over and saw Arianna still unconscious on the floor. I crawled over to her. "Arianna, wake up," I shook her as I called her name. A few moments later she opened her eyes. She looked up at me; I could tell she was feeling the same pain I had first felt. After I made sure she was all right, I stood and looked out of the cell. I saw Riddick in restraints in the cell across from our cell. I moved back from the force field barrier and looked inside of the cell. They had taken my main weapons, but I still had a few things on me. In the top corner of the room there was an air vent. If I could get up there, then I could get out of the cell. I felt around my belt and found the small titanium knife. "Ari, come here and give me a boost." She stood and came to help me up. "Try to stay steady and watch out for anybody passing." She nodded and gave me a lift. I started to work on the vent. I almost had part of it off of the hinges.

"Jaz, someone's comin'," Arianna warned. I got down and went to the opposite side of the cell. I watched as a few men came in. They went to Riddick's cell.

"Time to go, asshole," I heard one say while disabling the force field. "You're headed for a slam. But which will pay the most for you?" A few went in to get him out.

Another looked at us. "What are we gonna do with them?"

The one that had been talking to Riddick looked at us. "Just get Riddick to the hangar. We'll find some slavers for them later." They left after giving us another glance.

"C'mon, Ari, we gotta hurry and find the hangar." She helped me back up and I got the vent opened. I climbed inside and then helped her in. "Be gotta be careful." We climbed as quiet as possible through the vents until we found a way out. We skulked through the building looking for the hangar. We ran into a couple of guards. I stabbed the one in the neck while Arianna used pressure points to take the other down. We took their weapons after we hid their bodies. We continued on our way through the building. We followed a group of men who we had overheard talking about going to the hangar. They led us straight to the hangar door. After they opened the doors, we ran in after them and starting firing rounds from the weapons we had stolen.

We killed a few. Others ran for cover and started to shoot at us from where they hid. Arianna went one way; I went the other. I got to Riddick first. He was alone at the moment. I hurried and helped him out of his restraints. "What took you so long?" he asked jokingly; I smiled.

"We gotta get Arianna and then get the hell out of here." He nodded then followed after me. We took down a few men then dove behind a large container after one of them threw a grenade at us. I turned and saw Arianna on the opposite side holding something. It was my bag; she had put hers on her back. I dove to the other side and tumbled to break the impact of my fall. Riddick looked at us. I threw him a gun. He caught it and then looked out to see how many Merc were there. I pulled the clip out of a grenade and threw it. The bomb exploded; it was quiet for a moment after that. Riddick took the chance to join us. "We gotta get out of here," I stated the obvious. They both nodded. We each looked for a way out. Arianna saw a door opening on the opposite side of the hangar. She said that was probably where they were escaping.

We stood with our burners blazing and headed for that door. We all sprinted and killed whoever was in our way. We made it to the door. A few guards tried to shoot us. A grenade finished them off. Once it was finished we ran and headed for the exit. We safely made it out of the Merc headquarters in one piece. But we knew we wouldn't be safe until we made it back to our ship and were out of this system.

By the dead of night, we made it back to our ship and hurried off the planet. We all could breath easier then. Arianna collapsed on a cot, Riddick leaned back in the pilot's seat, and I leaned back on the wall. I exhaled and closed my eyes. We were safe, for now. But for how long? How long would we have to live like this? I was always the one chasing; I'd never been the chased before. Fate had a funny sense of humor called karma, and it was catching up to me. I looked at Arianna. She was rubbing her eyes while she lied on the cot. My gaze turned to Riddick. He had his goggles off; they were hanging over the side of his chair in his hand. I walked over to him, "Where we headed?" I sat down next to him. He shrugged. He must've been tired of running all of the time. I sympathized for him; I wished he didn't have to live with people always after him. "Do we have enough supplies for a while?" He nodded. "Good. Then let's get as far away as possible from this system." He looked at me and smirked.

"All right." He sat up in his chair and turned on the boosters. We accelerated forward to what ever came next.

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry it was so short though. I hadn't planned on releasing it until next week, but I might not have time so I just posted it. Until next time. And reviews are appreciated and helpful.**


	9. Next Stop?

A/N: Sorry about the long delay. I've been meaning to post this for a while. Hope you enjoy. Review if you feel the need.

**Chapter 9**

I was scared to go into cryo. It seemed like every time I did, something bad happened afterward. Arianna was in the back if the cabin sleeping while Riddick and I sat in the cockpit. We had talked about our next destination for a while, and then he laid his head back and closed his eyes. I looked at him for a while until I laid mine back too and looked out the front at the stars in the distance. I thought about our next destination. Riddick had set course for a planet on the other side of the verse. He said it was quiet and a good place to get away. However, he hadn't told me which planet he had planned to take us to. I had to wait and find out. I hoped for the best as I waited.

I drifted into a dreamless sleep for a while. Arianna woke me up when she came behind Riddick and me. "Where are we headed?" Arianna asked.

"Somewhere _quiet_," he emphasized "quiet."

"Are we gonna stop anywhere on the way."

"Not unless we absolutely have to. It's a straight run. We'll have less problems that way." She nodded and sat in the seat behind me. "Wanna go into cryo?" he was hopeful; I could hear it and it made me smile to myself.

"Not yet," he gave a disappointed sigh. I laughed to myself and then turned to look at him. "Riddick, why are your eyes that color? I've been meaning to ask you that." She surprised us both with that question.

"Got a shine job done when I was in a slam some years back. Now I can see in the dark, have the upper hand, and to see who's sneakin' up on me."

"Oh, that was smart. And you escaped from the slam and that's why those Mercs were after you?" he nodded. "Who knew?" Arianna sat back and stayed quiet after that. I spoke up:

"What were you in the slam for?" my tone was quiet. He looked over at me before answering.

"I knew too much." He didn't say any more than that; I turned and decided not to ask further. I closed my eyes and lay still in the chair. After a while I got up; it was too uncomfortable being conscious in that seat. I went to the back of the cabin and lay on one of the cots. It wasn't the best, but it was a lot better than the chair. I heard movement, but assumed it was just Arianna getting restless. A moment later, I felt someone sit on my cot. I looked up. Riddick looked down at me. The next thing I knew, Riddick was laying on his back with me on top of him. I stared at him for a little while; my eyes moved down to his lips. I kissed him. His hands roamed over my body under my shirt.

"I can't do this with Arianna in here."

"Wanna put her in cryo?" I shook my head; I couldn't do that to Arianna. She was the only person I have left from the other time in my life. I wouldn't throw our friendship and trust away for sex. "Still no. How interesting."

"How long before we get to where ever we're goin'?"

"Twenty-something days. Wanna change your mind?"

"I'll go into cryo." What the hell? I risk having a dream; it was only a dream anyway, and not the cause behind whatever happened. I started to get off of him; Riddick pulled me back down and kissed me again. Then he let me go and turned the other way on the cot. I stared at him for a moment before turning to walk to the co-pilot seat. I looked at the countdown until landing, twenty-three days. I sighed. I hooked up the cryo-system then waited for sleep to take me and the dreams to begin.

As I expected, another dream. This one didn't begin with Riddick like the others. I was back home in my room. I was standing in front of my weapons cabinet; my hands were loading a gun. When I was finished, I put it in a holster and then I started on a second gun. I heard a sound and turned around. I pointed the gun at the source of the noise. I lowered it. There was a baby lying on my bed. I didn't know why it was there or why it was making that noise. I walked over, put the weapon away, and then picked up the child. The noise stopped. The baby opened its eyes and looked at me. The look the baby gave me made me smile. I woke up after that. I sat up and unhooked the tubes in my arms. I looked around. Riddick was sitting next to me and Arianna was in cryo.

I looked at the countdown. We still had fifty-four hours to go. "Were you awake the whole time?" my voice was groggy. He shook his head. "What did you do?"

"I was thinking." I figured he wouldn't say about what, so I took his answer for what it was, him not wanting to talk. I began to feel restless as I sat in the chair looking out at the stars. This was the driest run ever made. I was bored beyond compare and I had no idea where we were headed and what to expect.

"Riddick, where the hell are we goin'?" I had to ask; not knowing was bothering me too much.

"Tarrok. It's a small planet in the Aerith system. I doubt there are many Mercs there. It's someplace to lay low for a while."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, it's a small settlement. It's kinda like Old Earth, only a lot bigger and less populated."

"As long as we can get off this ship and out of people's radars, I'm okay with it."

"Don't let your guard down, though. You never know what will happen." I nodded to acknowledge his warning. He had a point and it was worth heeding his warning, especially after everything I had been through in such a short time after meeting him.

Time continued to pass, Arianna continued to sleep, Riddick continued being Riddick, and I continued to fight the battle of boredom in my mind. I'm not one hundred percent sure how I had passed the time, but some how I managed make it to the planet's surface in one piece. We docked the ship and left to find somewhere to stay. Arianna and I had enough cash to last for a long time if we rented some where instead of buying one place. It was probably better that way any way. For hours we walked around the settlement trying to find a place to stay. Riddick was right; from what I knew about Old Earth this was exactly it. I was amazed as I looked around. I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking and I ran into a "For Rent" sign. I looked to the building to the left. "Riddick, Ari, come here. I think I found some place." We walked in. There was an old woman sitting behind a desk. From where we stood, I thought she was asleep.

"You need something?" She startled me.

"Umm… yeah, we want to rent three rooms."

"That'll be 3,300 cash a week." Damn, that was expensive.

I sighed, "We'll take 'em." I handed her the money. She handed me three keys. "Thank you." The three of us walked up a flight of steps and found our rooms. I couldn't believe I'd paid that amount for these. We could've stayed in the damned ship for this. Oh well, it would serve its purpose, for now at least.


	10. Intimate Encounters

A/N: Okay, this is a lemon chapter. If you don't feel comfortable reading, feel free to skip ahead. You're not missing anything important. Other than that, hope you enjoy.

**Chapter 10**

Later that night, Arianna was in my room with me. We were talking for a while. She seemed chattier tonight than any other time, if that was possible. I lay back on my bed and looked at the ceiling while she sat with her legs crossed in a chair next to the bathroom. Arianna was infamous for going off on tangents, which is exactly what she was doing now. I would drift in and out of the conversation. Then she asked me a question that immediately caught my attention, "So, what's up with you and Riddick? You two seem kinda _close_ now." I looked at her. Did she see us that time? Impossible, she was in cryo.

"Umm… kinda…" I had no idea what to tell her.

"Are you gonna have sex with him?"

What the hell? What kind of question was that? "Uh… no… I'm not really…" I trailed off.

"I would," she gave me the biggest smile. "I can't wait to try it out. But I don't really know what type of man I like. Riddick, though…" she got quiet and bit her lower lip. I was amazed that something or someone was capable of making her lose her train of thought and stopped her from speaking. The man worked all types of wonders. I laughed at her sudden loss for words; she woke from her daze.

"Maybe you should get with him then," I joked with her. She smiled.

"Nah, that's all you. I wouldn't mind some one like him though."

"Good luck with that. I doubt you find one though."

"One can only hope, right?"

"Yeah." She stood up and headed for the door. "You done for the day?" She nodded.

"Yup. Plus you look like hell. You need to get some sleep, Jaz. Rest easy tonight."

"If only." Arianna closed the door behind her. I lie on my bed and let the sleep take me over. I hadn't realized how tired I was, not physically, but mentally I was severely fatigued. My mind was too focused on resting for me to dream that night.

A few hours later I woke up when I heard the door close. I sat up in my bed and looked around the dark room. There was only a little light coming from the moon through the window. In the other corner, I knew it was him standing there. "What took you so long?" I joked.

"I didn't know you were expectin' me." He came toward my bed. He leaned down and kissed me. "Sorry to keep you waitin'."

"Just don't do it again."

"So you think you're tough now." I smiled.

"Something like that."

"Show me." He pulled me up into his arms; I kissed him. "Not bad." He started to unfasten my pants. Next thing I knew, they were off and across the room. "Tonight," he said in my ear. I looked at him. What the hell? Like I said, I got nothing to lose. I nodded to give him my consent. "Now that I have the green light," he smirked at me; I bit my lower lip wondering what he was thinking or planning. Riddick slid my shirt from off of me. When I was completely naked, he ran his hands up the sides of my torso. "Smooth skin…" His hand moved up to my hair and took out my clip, and then he ran his hand through, "Silky hair…" He brought my head toward his and kissed me, "Soft lips…" He looked into my eyes, "Beautiful eyes… Sexy."

"You're so talkative tonight, Riddick." He shrugged and continued caressing me.

"I'm just admiring my virgin before I take her innocence. You're all mine after tonight."

"Says who?"

"What did you think I was keeping you around for? Your company?" he laughed. His mood seamed to change, "Don't worry. You'll be all right. Promise." I looked at him. I started to reconsider this whole thing. "You'll be addicted to me anyway. You won't want to leave."

"You seem so sure of yourself."

"That's because I know for sure. Women love me and men wanna kill or make cash off me."

"I might be different."

"Yeah, I'll keep _you_ around and do things to you no one else ever can." I gave him a skeptical look. He was one cocky bastard. "Enough talk," he flipped me onto my back. Riddick took off all of his clothes and discarded them onto the floor. "Relax." He kissed me while he slid a hand down to my center. Riddick slid one finger inside of me. My legs snapped shut on their own accord. He emitted a low growl, which confused me. "I guess I have to start another way." He slid his body down and replaced his fingers with his tongue. It was like back on Lineia; only this time it was a lot better. I was practically screaming from the sensation. I felt the pressure build in my stomach when he slid two fingers inside and curled them. I squirmed from his touch. I lay back panting and screaming and moaning. The pressure went away and I felt relaxed.

He started to kiss up my stomach and stopped at each of my breast. He bit and sucked on each. I looked down at him and saw small reddish-purple marks on my chest. Riddick continued going up. He stopped at the side of my neck for a while; he sucked on the nape of my neck. I wrapped my arms around him to hold him to me. He moved up to my mouth and kissed me. His tongue aggressively moved around in my mouth. I could feel something hard pressing into my center. Then it clicked what this sex thing was about, and I didn't want that in me. "I can't," I whispered with hesitation.

"You can. Do you trust me?" I had to think about that for a second. Earlier I would have said yes, but I'm not sure now.

"Yes," the words came out on their own accord. I didn't realize what I'd said until I heard the words myself.

"This is gonna hurt at first." Panic covered my face. I tried to wiggle away, but to no avail. A sharp pain shot through me. My mouth opened, but no noise came out. I felt too afraid to move. Riddick stayed still, too. He laid his head next to mine. I heard him make a few grunt noises. Tears fell down my face; I closed my eyes. My body started to go numb under the weight of his body.

Riddick started to move. I could feel him go deeper inside of me. I winced from the pain, but he was enjoying this. His movements were slow, but gradually began to speed up. I bit down on his shoulder, the moment I did, he thrust into me harder. I gave a muffled yelp and clawed his back. He moved his hands down and parted my legs wider. Riddick buried himself deeper inside. He hit a spot and it felt good. I wrapped my legs around him; he picked up the pace. I clung to him for dear life. I let go of his shoulder and screamed. "Say my name," he commanded. I was confused. "Say it."

"Riddick," I whispered in his ear.

"Louder."

"Riddick!" I did as he said, even though I had no idea why he wanted me to. His thrusts were harder and deeper. I felt the pressure building again. I started to chant his name; it seemed to encourage him. Time continued to pass and then I found my release, but Riddick kept going. I moaned and clawed his back and yelled his name. Soon I assumed he reached his limit. I felt a pooling wetness between my legs.

"Get up," he ordered.

"Why?"

"'Cause you're covered in blood and cum." He gently pulled off of the bed me and toward the bathroom. Riddick turned on the shower while I waited with my arms crossed against my chest by the door. "Come here."

I stayed where I was, partly because I was tired and partly because I just didn't want to. "I'm about to go back to bed." He looked at me.

"You're the one who doesn't wanna get pregnant. I'm tryna help you out." He pulled me over toward him. Riddick stepped backward into the warm water. "I own you now." He wrapped his arms around me. "I can never let you go." Riddick sounded sincere, but it made me feel uneasy. What was I getting myself into?


	11. Break, Please

A/N: Three chaps up at once. I'm happy about this, hope you are, too. Enjoy.

**Chapter 11**

For the next few weeks, Riddick was relentless. Whenever we could get it in, sex was part of our daily agenda. I have to admit, there wasn't much of anything else to do on the planet, but he was taking this to a new level. My body didn't have enough time in between to heal itself since my first time. I was extremely sore. I figured he was trying to prove his point of owning me, but this was unnecessary. As good as the sex was I was tired of it already. I didn't even need to tell Arianna; she figured it out for herself. Occasionally, she would ask me questions, and I tried to be honest with my answers. But Riddick was a beast. He had even told the old woman to give us a larger apartment in exchange for the two rooms. That way it would be easier for us.

That day, I was avoiding Riddick. I was sick and sore, so I decided to get out the apartment and explore the planet a little. I was tired of the settlement and decided to venture a safe distance away in the outskirts. I rented I glider and went around the barren desert. A few miles away from the settlement, I found a small base. It looked like a military base with a small hangar. I assumed it was empty and wanted to explore it further. I hid my glider a safe distance away. I got out a pistol and ran toward the base. I went into the hangar first, I heard a few voices. They seemed to be coming from the back so I crept toward the source.

I saw a few men inside talking a drinking some cheap vodka. I looked at their uniforms. They were Company men. It made sense that they were there. The Company ruled the verse and had their hand in everything. Even on the worse of planets they had some sort of military operation running at all times. This planet was no exception. They probably didn't get much action, but their presence was necessary for the Company's purposes.

It was too dangerous for me to be here. I hurried as fast as I could to get away. On my way out, I accidentally knocked a barrel of oil over. A loud sound resonated from the fall to the concrete floors. I looked back after hiding. I saw the men stand up and head for the door. They came toward me; I looked to see how far the exit was from where I hid. I could probably make it without getting caught. I risked it and ran. I was almost clear and then I heard a gun shot. I dove to the ground. The men were yelling and trying to surround me. I took out another gun and sprinted out of the hangar. I ran toward the fence that was now closing. I had to climb it now. I jumped as high as I could when I was close enough to it. I was about half way up. I kept climbing until I got to the top. I jumped off and then tucked and rolled in the sand. I quickly got up and ran to my glider. I looked back; they hadn't followed me.

Moments later I was back in town. When I got back to my apartment, I hurried to my room. Before I was safely inside, Riddick grabbed and then slammed me into the wall. I heard the sound my back made after it hit it. "Where were you?" Overly possessive or overly protective, which could it be?

"I was out. I wanted to get some air."

"Why didn't you tell someone?"

"I didn't think it was that important."

"You're my mate. I'm supposed to protect you. It's hard to do if I can't find you." I knew he was sincere; I felt a pain in my heart from his words. I moved toward him and hugged him. He wrapped his arms around me and returned the embrace. Honestly, I felt safe in his embrace as dangerous as he may have been. I knew he would protect me.

"I was out in the outskirts. I found a Company base with soldiers on duty. They saw me when I was leaving. I'm not sure how well they saw me, but they did follow me to the gate." I heard a low growl come from his chest. It could have been because of the fact that I was almost caught or it could have been because of the fact that the Company was so close. At that moment, I didn't know which it was. I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him. It took him a minute, but he kissed me back. Riddick lifted me up; I wrapped my legs around his waist. He was hard and not trying to hide it anymore. "I want you," I could play a little. He pressed into me.

"How much?"

"Too much." I sucked on his lower lip. After I let go, I took off his goggles and threw them to the floor. Now I could stare into his silver orbs. I think I loved this man. He carried me into my bed room and placed me onto my bed. My legs stayed locked around his waist, not wanting to let go of him. Riddick lowered himself and started to grope me under my clothes and kiss on my neck. One thing led to a next and we both had our clothes off and were having the most passionate sex than any other times since we began this relationship. When everything was finished, I held him to me. His head rested on my chest. I stroked his head as we lay together. I thought and worried about the Company being on Tarrok. We might have been able to remain on this planet. I wondered what he was thinking about; if anything.

"We'll stay here for now. But if something happens, we gotta go," Riddick stated, bringing me back to reality from my thoughts. "Don't go out of town unless it is an emergency. Even then you wouldn't need to. Just stay low where ever you go and be careful."

"All right. I'll tell Arianna." He didn't say anything. I tried my best to think of something else, something that could take my mind off of the Company. Suddenly I felt sick; I jumped out of the bed and ran to the bathroom. I threw up my guts on the floor before I could reach the toilet. I leaned against the wall trying to regain my composure. Riddick came in after me with a worried look in his eyes. What the hell had happened? He threw a towel on the floor and helped me to the bed.

"Get some sleep." He turned off the lights and closed the bedroom door behind him. I lay there in the dark for a while trying to figure out what had caused the previous incident; nothing came to mind. I hadn't eaten anything bad, I wasn't sick, what could it have been?

A few hours later Arianna slammed the door open which caused me to wake from my sleep. I shot my eyes towards her. She had panic written on her face. "Are you ok? Riddick told me what happened and he wanted me to keep an eye on you."

"I think I'm ok now. But I don't know what made me sick."

"You could be pregnant." I gave her a worried/surprised look.

"No. I can't be… Can I?" She shrugged.

"I remember reading that nausea and vomiting are some of the first few signs of pregnancy. But I don't know for sure. And it's not like we were given any preventive methods back on Lineia. It's possible, Jaz." I knew I had to be visibly horrified by the notion of me being pregnant. I had no problem having babies, but this wasn't the right time for anything like this to be happening. I whined and fell back into my pillow.

"Isn't there some way to test and find out?"

"Yup-yup." She pulled out a box from her bag. "I saw this in a store. I didn't know if one of us would need it; but I got it any way." I took the box from her and read the label to see what the contents were. It was a pregnancy test. I opened it and followed the directions. I pricked my hip and let the blood fill the small tab. I had to wait a few seconds. I saw and interpreted the results. This little thing claimed that I was pregnant. I felt light headed. Arianna took it from me and looked; she gasped. I didn't know if she was happy or worried; probably the first. "What are you gonna do, Jaz?"

I shook my head. "I don't know. I guess I gotta tell Riddick though."

A/N: Hope you liked these chaps. Let me know if you hated it, liked it, loved it, whatever. Feedback is beautiful.


	12. Are You Avoiding Me?

A/N: Only one chap for now. I'm still trying to perfect 13, maybe I'll have it up in a few days. Hope you enjoy. And thanks for the reviews.

**Chapter 12**

I can't say that I was avoiding Riddick, because I was always with him; but I can say that I was avoiding the pregnancy topic. Partly because I half believed it to be true, and half thought the test was wrong. The one difference now was that we hadn't been having sex as much as before. I would sometimes find excuses not to; other times it was inevitable. I knew I had to tell him eventually, he deserved to know I was carrying his child, but I had no I idea how to tell him. I continuously thought the scenario over in my mind. I thought about all of the ways he would react to the news. In the end, I still didn't want to tell him because I was afraid of his reaction to my news. But Riddick was no fool. He knew something was up with me by the way I had been acting toward him.

One day he had almost cornered me to confront me about the distance I was trying to put between us. I managed to get away by fast talking Arianna into going out to get some food supplies. I had her out of the building before she knew what was going on. While we were walking the streets we talked about my situation. "You haven't told him yet, have you?" I shamefully shook my head. "Why not? What are you waiting for?"

"The right moment. The right way to tell him. You don't know how difficult this is for me?"

"Why is it difficult? Just tell the man you're gonna have his kid. Hell, I'll tell him."

"No, Ari. It's not that simple. I wish it was though."

Arianna sighed, "I don't get you, Jaz. But I hope you figure this out… soon." We walked into a small market at the corner of the block. I hadn't been inside long before I noticed the man from the Company base. He was in the back looking at the liquor. He grabbed several bottles of clear alcohol and started for the cashier. I ducked behind a rack and pulled Arianna with me. "What's up, Jaz?"

"That guy over there," I pointed to the man at the counter, "He's one of the men from the base. I don't know if he saw me and would recognize me." She nodded to show she understood. We both looked over and watched the man. While the cashier was bagging up his purchase, the Company man was taking a piece of paper out of his jacket and handed it to the man as he was being handed the bag of liquor. We barely heard what he said to the man, but we got the gist. He wanted him to post the paper up in his store. The cashier nodded. We waited a moment while the other man walked out of the store. We waited a few more moments before walking to the counter to pay for our supplies. While he totaled the merchandise, we looked at the piece of paper still sitting on the counter. It was a drawing of Riddick with a bounty on it. Of course, there was always something, just had to be.

Arianna diverted his attention while I snatched up the paper. I stuffed it in my pocket and continued feeling around to appear as though I was searching for something. Then I found said thing and paid the man. He smiled at us before we took the bags and left. The two of us hurried back to the apartment. I looked around to see if anymore posters were up. I let out a frustrated sigh. I didn't need this now; it was just adding insult to injury. It would help me stall for more time before I had to tell Riddick, but it also meant danger for the four of us.

Inside the building, we greeted the old woman behind the counter before rushing up the stairs. We both went to my room and locked the door behind us. "What's wrong with you?" Riddick asked from his seat on the bed. I put the bags down and reached in my pocket for the paper. He took and looked at it. Riddick shrugged, balled it up, and discarded it over his shoulder. "Figures."

"What now?" Arianna asked. I guess we were all thinking it and openly asked to get a consensus, but I think we all knew what we had to do.

"Start packin'," I said. We all did. Arianna went to her room while Riddick and I got our stuff together. We had accumulated more stuff than I had realized over our stay. I got out my same duffle from my escape from Lineia; I only packed what was necessary and would fit. Arianna came back into the room with her bag in hand. "You're ready?" She nodded.

"We have enough weapons, right?" she asked.

"We should." I looked at what we had. "Okay, we'll lay low until nightfall."

"How's the ship? Has anyone checked on it?" I forgot about that. I hope it was in suitable shape, at least to get away and to another planet. I looked to Riddick for an answer. He had no idea either. I guess we got too settled.

"I'll go see," Arianna started for the door. As she reached for the doorknob, knocks came from the other side. She stepped back a few paces and then looked at us. Riddick headed for the window and climbed out. I closed it behind him. I turned around just as the door was opening.

The old woman who owned the building was removing her key. A few men came in after her. They wore Company clothes. "That's the two I was tellin' you 'bout. I don't know where the big fella is, though." The men came in and looked around. "This suite is the largest, but there's not many places he could be. He must've left."

"Well," one large, rotund man with a straggly beard said as he handed her a stack of cash, "We'll just take these two. He should follow." I became panicked. I didn't want to fight. I knew I could take these few, especially with Arianna's help, but I was afraid for my child. My only desire, in that moment, was to protect my child. So I stayed still as he put the restraints on my wrists. Arianna looked at me, confusion written all over her face. She was wondering why I didn't want to fight. One of the men saw the bag on her back and took it off.

"Looks like they were tryin' to leave," another said while Arianna was being cuffed.

"Not anymore," the corpulent man interjected. He pushed us forward. We followed the man in front of us while the others were behind us with guns to our backs. I sighed to myself as we headed toward the glider outside, here we go again.

They helped us into the glider, keeping their weapons cocked and pointed at us. I looked back at the building while we drifted away. Would he come after me? I kept asking myself that same question. It was anyone's guess, but I hoped he would. I was starting to notice I had a lot of faith in him. But would he let me down?

I knew where they were taking us, but the trip seemed so much longer than when I had come out here by myself. The building came into view and we were soon inside of the hangar. They unloaded us from the glider and led us to the brig. "What are we gonna do with them, Boss?" a slender, blonde man asked the round man from before.

"We'll wait a li'l while, see if Riddick comes," he looked at us, "If he doesn't, well… we can find something to do with them." He gave us a lecherous smile. I returned the smile with a look of disgust, which caused him to laugh. They left after that.

"What the hell, Jaz?" Arianna was very frustrated. "Why didn't you want to fight them back there? You know we could've taken them."

"I know," I looked down and touched my stomach. "But I was afraid. I didn't want anything to happen to my baby." She sighed and her fury seemed to lessen.

"All right. So how are we gonna get out of this one? Nothing against Riddick, but I'm not tryin' to wait around for him."

"Me neither." Now how do we get out of this dilemma?


	13. Now You Know

**Chapter 13**

We had been sitting in the cell for a few hours now. I was feeling nauseous and it was hard to focus on anything else. Arianna was pacing back and forth trying to find some way out, but she had no success. This cell was different from other cells; it was an older brig and had an old system. There was no energy barrier; instead there were iron bars that slid shut and the control panel was the only way to open it. Inside the cell there were no vents or sewage drains. As of now, we were stuck in the cell until they let us out, or Riddick came.

"You don't have _anything_ on you?" Arianna asked me, again. I shook my head. "Talk about being unprepared. This is crazy."

"Calm down, Ari. If we can't get out from this way, then we have to wait for them to come back."

"What are you gonna do when they do come back?" she gave me a skeptical look.

"If I have to fight, then I have to. I just have to be extremely careful. Pressure points can take them out. It's a more efficient way of getting out anyway."

"That's true. We gotta make sure we have each other's backs, too."

"Yeah. But for now we need to stay calm." She nodded then took a seat next to me.

She looked at me, "We have to be quick when it happens." I nodded.

More time passed as we sat waiting in the cell; finally a few guards came down. I looked them over. One was small with a clip on his hip, another was tall, muscular, and didn't appear to be armed. The last was as tall as the muscled one but was slender and had two clips on his hip. I didn't know which would be the best to take out first, so I just had to wait until they made their move. The small man walked toward the control panel on the other side of the room. We stood up and moved to the middle of the cell; we stayed a few feet away from each other. We gave each other a look and waited. My heart was racing. The system beeped to signal that the doors were opening. We heard the click as the lock opened and the door slid open. The well-built man came towards me and the slender one moved toward Arianna.

Their steps were slow. Arianna was tired of waiting and rushed the man hitting a muscle point causing the man to back up and bend forward. She kneed his chin as he was reaching for his guns. The other rushed toward her. I moved forward and attacked from the side; I dipped low and threw a punch landing right on his solar plexus. He staggered back a step before falling down onto the ground. The guard behind tried to lock the door; before he did so, he sounded the alarm. Arianna sprinted toward him and kicked him in the abdomen. He managed to get a shot off as she was coming toward him; fortunately it only grazed her arm.

"We could've done that before, Jaz," she stated as she took his weapon. Meanwhile, I was searching the large man for any concealed weapons. He had none so I took the other's guns.

"I wasn't thinking last time. I had time to reason with myself before this." I walked toward her. "I'm glad it didn't end badly."

"Me, too. Now let's get the hell out of here." I nodded. The two of us started for the exit to the brig. We stayed close to the walls in the shadows.

I looked at Arianna then to her arm. "How's the wound?"

"It's fine." She looked around the corner. "I'll worry about it later." We started running toward the steps. No one was around so we went up. At the top we were met by the sound of guns cocking. We put our hands up.

"Put the weapons down," I recognized the voice. I looked toward the source after I stood back up. It was the rotund man; he was stepping forward. "Impressive work. I didn't think you would be this… hmm… what's a good word… troublesome…" he smiled. "Were you tryin' to buy time for him to escape?" We stayed still and silent. "That's very kind of you." I looked at the men surrounding us while he spoke. There were several of them, of few had assault rifles and others had pistols. "But what do you get out of helping him, I wonder."

"You talk too much," I stated.

He barked out a loud laugh, "Is that so?" he continued laughing. His laugh was cut short when we all heard a loud sound. Everyone's focus was drawn toward the source of the sound. A moment later the place went dark. My heart was relieved, but became alert once I heard other shots. I tackled Arianna to the ground. We heard the cries from the men as their lives were being ended. Not too long after did I feel a hand on my arm. I looked up and saw his silver eyes staring at me. I smiled in the dark as he helped me up; Arianna held onto me as she also stood.

"C'mon," he ordered. He held my hand as I held Arianna's and we moved through the darkness. We stopped as we approached a lit corridor.

"I thought you weren't coming," I whispered to him.

He looked at me with disbelief before putting his goggle back on. "Why wouldn't I come?" I shrugged and shook my head.

"How did you find us?" Arianna asked.

"I followed your blood. You were going the wrong way, by the way. Stay close, there's a way to go and there are more guards around." We nodded and followed him.

I hadn't noticed how deep into this building we were until just then. We were still making our way up to the top floor which would lead to the hangar. We reached a floor that seemed to be a dead end. Riddick told me that they must have sealed the way off. We had to go back and find another way out. Unfortunately, when we went back we were met by more guards. They were well armed but didn't seem to be very good fighters. Arianna took out a pistol that she must have grabbed from before and started firing at them. Riddick moved forward and started to go to work, too. I stayed behind; my will to fight had disappeared again. I tried to stay back away from the action in front of me, but one got passed and charged at me. He looked like he was aiming for my stomach. I crossed my arms in front of my stomach and back away, trying to create more of a distance between us. My eyes closed as he came closer. Arianna screamed my name; a shot was fired. I opened my eyes and saw the man collapsed at my feet. "Fight, damn it!" Arianna yelled at me. I looked up and saw the blood splattered everywhere; Riddick and Arianna were fighting. I looked down and saw a pistol next to a corpse.

I moved to pick up the weapon. Someone came toward me with a knife in hand. I averted the blade with my left hand and punched him in the face with my right. He fell to my left. I grabbed the gun and aimed it at the closest adversary. I started shooting. The fight seemed to end sooner once I started fighting; most likely because I wasn't waiting and cowering in fear.

I was beginning to stand, but my legs gave in and my I fell to my knees. The smell of the blood around me made my stomach turn and I vomited against the wall. Arianna and Riddick moved toward me. They both helped me up and made sure I was alright. "You're pregnant, aren't you?" Riddick asked.

I gave him a surprised look before lowering my head and saying, "Yes." Like I said, the man was no fool.

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I didn't know how."

"Let's go." He wrapped an arm around my waist and helped me walk. We continued through the miniature labyrinth. While on our way out we had to fight more guards. Riddick kept me close enough to him to protect me and far enough that I wouldn't get hurt in the crossfire. Eventually we made it out and started for the ship.

"You got the ship together?" Arianna asked Riddick. He nodded. "Good. I can't wait to get off this planet."

When we got back to the ship, I waited for us to clear the atmosphere before going to lie on the cot in the back. I lay on my side and held my stomach. Arianna stood up and walked toward the controls. "Okay, this time I'm picking the planet." She sat down in the co-pilot seat and searched the charts for systems. Riddick joined me in the back. He moved me so that my head was lying on his lap. He put his hand on my stomach. I looked up at him.

"Go to sleep," he ordered. I turned my head back the other way and closed my eyes, drifting into a dreamless sleep.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chap. And hopefully this end didn't let anyone down. Thanks for reading.


	14. Paradis

A/N: I apologize for the long hiatus, but want to thank all my readers and those who leave me reviews. I appreciate you taking time to read my story. Hopefully, the matters that kep me distracted for so long will no longer interfer with me posting the remainder of this story. Again I'm sorry for the long wait, enough words. Hope you enjoy. Leave a review if you want, too.

Chapter 14

This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen; I never thought a place like this existed. As I looked over the topography as we flew over the water and islands, I saw clear seas, colorful reefs, exotic plants with beautiful flowers of various hues ranging from golden yellows to deep purples. There were no towering cities, and harsh grey wastelands like the places I've usually travelled to. This was a tropical planet unblemished by the technological advances that were part of everyday life in this time.

We landed at one of the few hangars on the island. Once we landed, I had noticed more modern advances that showed they were more connected to the outside systems than I thought. However, overall they were free of the other problems that most planets endured, such as pollution, chemical waste harming the fauna and flora, and other man-made catastrophes. The people were also the most beautiful I've ever seen. They had tanned skin from the sun and dark brown hair; most of them had on very few pieces of clothing leaving a large percent of their bodies uncovered. The clothes they were wearing were brightly colored and were either made from animal skin or what appeared to be a blend of the plants manufactured in the same way that cotton was on Old Earth.

What I admired the most was the jewelry. As we wandered through the tropical town looking for a place to stay, I saw a jewelry store that I had to go in. Arianna was excited too, but Riddick surprised me. I thought he would be frustrated by our diversion, but he simply stood by the entrance leaning on a column with his arms crossed over his chest, watching us and our surrounding.

The jewelry was made of shells and pearls mostly, but there were also pieces with crystals that must have come from somewhere on this planet. Later Arianna and I each walked out with one piece of jewelry. She had purchased a pair of pearl earrings, and I picked out a pink conch shell bracelet.

Afterward, we continued looking for lodgings. The housing was all simple and similar, but the problem was tracking down the contractor who built and leased them. We met a man in a shop that lead us in the right direction, but catching up with the man, Felix, was proving to be a difficult task. We ended up having to stay in a hotel, which was actually a one room shack with a large bed, living room furniture, kitchenette, and bathroom. For now it would suffice, but I wanted to get a better place soon.

Later, Riddick went out to do whatever he felt he needed to do; meanwhile, Arianna was cooking dinner with the fresh food she had bought while we were in town together. I sat in the living room looking over my arsenal. I needed more ammunition, needed to fix a few of my guns, and needed to sharpen my blades which were looking very dull and worn. I started with the knives; I took out my sharpening stone and carefully moved it along the weapon's edge. I was almost finished polishing the knives when Arianna informed me that she was finished cooking.

I went to the dining table and began eating the food she had served me. I was happy to have a cooked meal for the first time in a long time, it seemed. Arianna was an excellent cook when she wasn't hunting, and she enjoyed the activity as much as I enjoyed eating the fruits of her labor. We were cleaning up when Riddick returned. Arianna informed him that she had saved him some and it was still on the stove.

While he ate, the two of us finished cleaning up and then headed outside to sit in the two chairs on the porch. We sat there and looked out at the beautiful, starry sky that spread across the now dark waters. I felt at ease for the first time in a long time. Then I had to ask, "Ari, how did you find this place? It's perfect."

She nodded in agreement then answered, "I was sent here once. Remember the time I left and hadn't come back for months after I was anticipated to return?" I nodded in remembrance. "I was sent here for this twenty-three year old. It didn't take long to find him, but I was so mesmerized by this planet that I didn't want to leave. I didn't stay in the lodgings, though. I camped out on the beach most of the time, the other time I was in the ship."

I couldn't blame her for not wanting to leave this place. Even now I hoped that I could stay here in peace with no problems. I'll be heartbroken if we leave here. I can stay here with my baby, with Riddick. I turned and looked at him through the window; a smile crept onto my face. That would be nice. I touched my stomach after I turned back around. I could see Arianna looking at me. "You know, Jaz, we should find a doctor or something to check you and the baby out." I looked at her and nodded. That would be smart, and best for the baby. I tried to figure out again how far along I was. It was a shame that I didn't know; then again I hadn't expected this, so I wasn't paying much attention to my body with everything else going on.

I sat there a moment longer in silence thinking. I remembered when I had first taken the test; it was about four months ago now. I smiled again at that thought while I lifted my shirt and looked at my swollen stomach. I glided my hand over where I thought the baby was. It was still hard for me to believe that there was another human being growing inside me.

The next morning, Arianna and I went about town looking for a doctor. Riddick had decided to hunt down Felix to find us proper lodgings for our stay on Paradis. We didn't know how successful Riddick was with his search, but ours wasn't going too smoothly. There were many doctors in this town, but none were suitable to assist me with my pregnancy; at least that was my feeling. They practiced homeopathy for the most part and only a small percentage used modern medicine and robotic surgery. I trusted that group the most, herbs and home remedies may have lasted through the centuries, but I preferred the modern methods. However, with my baby I was being extra careful and didn't want just anyone to handle my child's and my health.

We stopped and took a break for awhile before continuing our search. We visited a small restaurant on the shore just outside of town on way back to our hotel. While we were eating, a teenage girl came up to me and placed her hand on my stomach. I gave her a surprised look which she answered with a warm smile. "You're five months along," she stated; a disconcerted frown formed on my face and a curious look was on Arianna's.

"How do you know that?" Arianna questioned, truly curious and a little worried.

"My mother taught me everything about pregnancy and child birth," she answered while she gently rubbed my stomach. "She has taught me other medicinal practices, too." She removed her hand and stepped back before continuing. "You're new to Paradis. Do you have an obstetrician?"

"No," I answered her.

"Then you should come with me." The young girl grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. Meanwhile Arianna took out some cash and put it on the table before following us out of the door.

"My name is Aniya, by the way." She introduced herself, then we followed suit telling her our names. "Nice to meet you two," Aniya said with a bubbly smile before turning around to lead us towards the outskirts of town. After a fifteen minute walk through the flora, we reached a medium sized, well kept house sitting in a clearing. Aniya began to call out in her native tongue after we all entered the front door.

A woman began to descend down the stairs. She and Aniya spoke while we were waiting near the door. I was skeptical about this for two reasons. One, we were too far from town and other human beings for my comfort; and two, I still didn't want a homeopathic doctor treating me. After a few minutes of talking, her mother motioned for us to follow her. Arianna locked arms with me and pulled me towards the room where Aniya and her mother disappeared into. With my free hand I felt to make sure my knife was still on my side in its sheath. My hand didn't stray too far from it.

Inside the next room, Aniya's mother was washing her hands and Aniya was getting something out of a cabinet. Arianna took a seat next to the bed placed on the wall farthest from the door; she motioned for me to sit on the bed. I slowly walked over and sat with my feet swinging off of the high bed. Aniya came over with a small electronic device in one hand and a bottle of odorless lubricant in the other. She stood next to me and began to speak. "My mother only speaks Paradician; I have to translate for her."

I nodded before asking, "What's that?"

"A doppler- lay down, please," she interjected and I listened. Once I was on my back, she continued talking. "You're far enough along on your pregnancy to hear the heart beat of the baby." I was fascinated by her news and excited that I would be hearing my baby's heartbeat. "My mother won't do an ultrasound on you, but she will run a few tests to make sure you and the baby are healthy." I nodded to let her know that I understood. Meanwhile, her mother came over and began.

She lifted my shirt up to expose my stomach, then she took the tube of lubricant from Aniya and squeezed some onto my stomach. The older woman took the device, turned on the doppler, and then moved it over my lower stomach. She stopped when she found the heart. I was ecstatic when I heard the rapid beating of my baby's heartbeat. My mind zoned out while Aniya and her mother worked. Arianna was looking over, intrigued by the process and constantly asking questions. I paid attention now and again, but was too happy about hearing the beating heart of my unborn child.

By the end of the examination, I was informed about several facts that I had not known and was told what to do from here on out. I told myself that I would do everything that she was saying, and Arianna promised to make sure that I did. I felt a weight lifted when Aniya translated for her mother that my baby was healthy and growing normally. As I was sitting back up, Aniya asked if I wanted to know what I was having. Arianna wanted me to find out, but I wanted it to be a surprise; I didn't mind it being a boy or a girl. Then I thought back to a conversation Riddick and I had; to sum it up, he said he'd prefer to have a daughter to a son if he ever did have a kid. He thought a daughter wouldn't share the curse he had the same way a son would; I had no idea what he meant when he said that, though.

It was night time when we got back to our room. Riddick was there sitting on the couch cleaning weapons. He asked about our search and I was happy to inform him about our success. I was giddy and overwhelmed with joy, but he didn't seem too fazed. He simply said, "Good," then went back to what he was doing. My mood came down a little bit after seeing his reaction. Then I reached over, took his hand, and placed it over my stomach. I knew he felt what I wanted him to when he looked up at me.

"It's called a quickening," I told him. I had been feeling this for a few days now, and Aniya told me what it was. "That's the baby moving its muscles because they're just starting to develop." I smiled at him when he looked up from staring at my stomach.

"You should get to bed," he suddenly said before standing up. I quizzically stared at him, wanting to ask him where he was going. Riddick was gone before I got the words out. I sighed to myself before leaning back against the couch. Arianna came from out of the bathroom and asked where Riddick had gone. I shrugged my shoulders and sighed again. That man is still a mystery to me.

A couple hours passed and Riddick still hadn't returned; Arianna and I were up talking about various topics, most of which concerned the baby. Once we ran out of things to talk about and started to feel tired, we lay in the bed under the covers. I thought she was asleep, but didn't know for sure. I, however, didn't want to sleep until I saw Riddick again. A few hours passed before I fell asleep; he had not yet returned.

The next morning I woke up expecting to see him asleep on the sofa, but he wasn't there. I looked around the room and all of his stuff was still there, excluding the effects I knew he always kept on him if he could help it. I was worried about his absence and decided to wait a little while longer before going to look for him.

Arianna tried several times to assure me that everything was all right and he would be back in no time. That had yet to happen, so I went out on my own to look for him. The first place I checked was the hangar where we left our ship. It was still there so I assumed he was still on the planet. But where did he go and why?


	15. Where Did He Go?

_A/N: Sorry this chapter is so short, and sorry for the wait. But I'm going back to bi-weekly updates for this until the end, and there will be five chapters after this; so we're almost there. (^_^) And thanks to all my faithful readers and reviewers; I love you all. Anyway, on with the story and hope you enjoy. By the way, let me know if you think it'll be a boy or a girl. You got a fifty-fifty shot. ;) Happy reading._

Where Did He Go?

Nearly two months has passed since Riddick just up and walked out on the three of us. I've been feeling so miserable since he has been gone. I had no idea it would hurt this much to lose him. Maybe because I never thought that I would ever lose him. I changed my entire life to be with him, and I truly, maybe foolishly, believed that nothing would tear us apart. Yet, here I sat alone, thinking about his reasons for leaving, his current location, and whether or not he was well, injured, or dead. I dreaded the last, but something just told me that that was not the case.

I've just been praying that he is all right somewhere safe, and I'm not the praying type but since he left I've just been praying to whoever or whatever could help him and ease my pain. Too bad nothing seemed to be assisting with the latter. The stress has been so overwhelming at times that Aniya's mother instructed Arianna to give me some special tea twice a day to calm my nerves and help me relax. It helped for the most part, yet it couldn't prevent the thoughts that caused the stress in the first place.

Aniya was just making it over to my place, as I sat on the porch looking out at the clear blue waters just a few yards away. She had promised to come over today to sit with me so that I wouldn't have to spend so much time alone. This young girl has been so helpful since we came to the planet. Aniya has been helping with the pregnancy and has even been helping look for Riddick. She knows the town and the people better than Arianna and me, so she took it upon herself to venture out and find out whatever she could, if there was even something for her to find. She never even got a chance to meet him; I wish she could have. Aniya has only found out what she knows now about him because she needed the information to help search for him, but that wasn't much about him. She knew general facts that even the Mercs would know.

"Jazmine, tell me about the father," she said, as if reading my mind.

I sat there a few moments and tried to think of what to tell the girl; I'd known him less than a year, but he would answer any question that I'd ask him about himself and his past. I had to learn certain facts while I tracked him, but most of the files I obtained made him out to be this murderous demon that had a blood thirst like no other with a tainted black soul. That wasn't the man I knew. "He's very protective," I began, "I don't think he would ever actually kill someone, unless he didn't have a good reason… or maybe no other choice."

"I heard stories about him being a dangerous escaped convict and murderer," Aniya stated while rubbing my stomach.

"That's true. He's had a hard life. Not that life is easy to begin with, but when someone has been after you since your birth, you're more prone to violence, I think. He would be dead by now if he went quietly." Aniya nodded in agreement.

"You still love him. Even though everyone thinks he's a terrible, evil person."

"I know he's not like that… he just has to sometimes do bad things to survive."

"How did you meet him?" I told her about being assigned to him, tracking him, and coming face to face with him for the first time. "… and he_ kissed_ you when you first met?" I nodded and smiled. She giggled profusely after hearing that.

"It was just a really quick peck, really, but he did, startling me for a few moments before the group of men brought me out of my thoughts when they barged into the empty room." She continued giggling for a few more moments before asking me to tell her some more stories about the two of us, which she found all so fascinating.

"You two, and Arianna, remind me of the tales my father used to tell me about the pirates he had met in his bar. I used to think that some of the details were far-fetched, but you just made me reconsider my past opinion."

"I've never lived a dull life, but these past few months make the rest of my life seem boring." I felt the tears welling up again. For a few moments I was so distracted by retelling her of our adventures that I'd forgotten the simple fact that he was now gone. Now the realization hit me again when I thought that I would never get to have another misadventure with Riddick. No matter the danger we were in, I never cared since he was right there with me. Even before I felt anything for him, when we were escaping that Merc ship before leaving for Lineia, I felt a rush fighting and breaking out with him. It was just so exciting.

Where did he go? I lost count of how many times I asked myself that. Why was I still asking? I knew I wouldn't get an answer from myself. Maybe if I'd gone after him that night, I might have been able to stop him or at least have learned where he was going and why he wanted to leave me. The reason still eludes me; nothing rational came to mind for his impromptu departure.

One signal, or one message from him. That's all I ask. Even if he tells me that he hates me and never wants to see me again. I don't care; I just need answers… closure, I guess.

He shouldn't have left things this way.


	16. Sigh of Relief

Sigh of Relief

It's been four months since that dreaded day, and the pain of his departure has only recently started to lessen as the due date of my child comes closer. Aniya told me there are only a few weeks left. Since then the thoughts of him have decreased and the stress of the ordeal has almost subsided completely. I know without those three women I would not have been able to make it this far.

One evening, I was on the beach with Arianna and her new friend, Shayne. Shayne was a local mechanic several years older than Arianna, but obviously loved her unconditionally. The feeling was mutual; I could tell as I watched their growing relationship. I was simultaneously happy for my best friend and also envied her since she now was able to spend time with the man she adored. As I was watching the two playfully fight in the surf, Aniya came sprinting towards me. She was excited and tried to speak while she caught her breath.

"Aniya, just calm down and breathe first."

She nodded and then paused for a few moments to catch her breath, and then she delivered her message. "Tien, he found something for you. Come on." She said as she grasped my hand and pulled me to my feet. I was too far along my pregnancy to run or even keep up with her enthusiastic movements, but I finally managed to make it to her friend's shop. "He found this encoded message and deciphered it for you," she informed me while Tien began to pull up the file on a screen in front of him. Once it was up, he moved away and let me read the message.

"**I wasn't going to send this, but I figured I should. Sorry for leaving you, but I had to. You two will never be safe while I'm around. So this is best. I know you'll be fine. I love you."**

I read the words over several times until my eyes blurred from the stream of tears. I gave a sigh of relief and felt my entire body relax before I broke down crying. Aniya gave me a hug and held me while I cried. "I have to delete this now," I heard Tien say. "It may be possible for someone to track it. It's best to get rid of it just be safe." I nodded slowly at him, and then he turned to the keys and started typing away; the message soon vanished.

A couple minutes later, Arianna and Shayne came into the room. She looked over at me while I lay resting my head in Aniya's lap. Arianna came towards me with panic written across her face. "Jaz, what's the matter?" she asked while she rubbed my back.

"He's okay. He's all right, Ari," I whispered hoarsely. I watched her panic change into a grin.

"That's great! Do you know where he is?" I shook my head. "Well, is he coming back?"

I shook my head again, "I don't think so…"

Her expression changed. I could tell she felt sorry for me, but kept a small smile on her face to reassure me that everything would be okay. "At least we know he's all right." I nodded.

"I'm still upset he didn't tell me before. This has been so difficult."

"But it'll be better now," Aniya said. Arianna and I looked up at her; I smiled at the sixteen year old.

"I think you're right."

I had an easier time getting to sleep after I received the message from Riddick. Everything else, in fact, was a lot easier for me since then. I hardly noticed the time fly by since I got the message. Before I knew it, I was coming home from the market when my water broke. Thankfully, Aniya and Arianna were with me.

They helped me back to our apartment and began getting things ready. It wasn't possible to get me to Aiko so she had to come to me. Arianna had dispatched Shayne to go retrieve her. I'm not sure how much time had passed in between, but before I knew it Aniya's mother was there barking out orders to her daughter in their native language. Arianna was at my side the entire time, encouraging me, while Aniya was telling me what to do. Her mother had Shayne running about fetching items for her. All the while, I was on top of my bed screaming and panting and clutching the sheets and Arianna's hand.

I followed Aniya's instructions as pushed and breathed properly during the right moments. I was scared when her face changed into an unreadable expression, but relaxed when she smiled and yelled, "I can see its head! It can see its head!" I relaxed and continued to follow instructions until all of the pain and pressure went away. I collapsed into my bed after seeing the bundle being carried away by Aniya and hearing the soft cry from the infant.

Apparently I had fainted or fallen asleep, but by the time I came to, Aiko had stitched me up, the baby was cleaned and wrapped in a white blanket, and Aniya was carrying my child back over toward me. I sat up as she handed me the small infant. "You have a baby girl," she said in a soft voice. "And she's healthy." Aniya smiled as she watched me carefully hold my baby.

I smiled down at the precious gift in my arms; I felt the tears sliding down my face. She was absolutely perfect. Arianna came over and looked at her, "She's beautiful, Jaz…" I nodded and then leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Do you have a name yet?" Aniya asked. I looked down at the baby girl and thought about it. I hadn't thought of names before.

"Nevaeh…" I whispered. "My Nevaeh."

"Nevaeh," Arianna repeated.

I kept my eyes locked on my child, and for a split second she opened her eyes and looked up at me. She had hazel eyes. _They must be hers father's_, I thought to myself. I didn't have hazel eyes and no one in my family did, at least not to my knowledge. Maybe I was just hoping that was something she inherited from him. I'd never really know for sure though; it never occurred to me to ask him about something so trivial. Now I wish I had.

Aniya interrupted my musings and asked to take Nevaeh from me. "You both need your rest," she informed me. I nodded, kissed the infant once more time, and then handed her to Aniya who placed her in the crib we had picked out a few weeks ago.

Once Aniya tucked her in, she and her mother began cleaning up; they left afterward, but not before Aniya went over and kissed my baby goodbye. "I'll see you later, little one," she whispered to the sleeping newborn. "Get some sleep, Jazmine. I'll be back later."

Shayne walked over to Arianna and kissed her forehead, "I'll let you all rest."

Arianna hugged him tightly, "Thank you for your help," she kissed him tenderly. "You go get some rest, too. You did a lot." He nodded, kissed her again, and then left our apartment.

"Do you need anything, Jaz?" I shook my head. "All right. You sleep. I'll be in the living room."

I nodded. "Ari," she turned around and looked at me, "Thanks for being here. I couldn't have done this without you."

Arianna walked back over to me and hugged me, "What are best friends for?" I smiled at her and then thanked her again before she left me and Nevaeh alone to sleep. But before I completely slipped into unconsciousness, I let out another sigh of relief. My love was still gone, but safe, and my child was finally born and healthy. My mind was at peace for the first time in a long time.

_A/N: Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you think.x_


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